6th mpox case confirmed at capital airport

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan's sixth case of the mpox virus was confirmed at Islamabad International Airport, health ministry officials announced on Monday.

The 44-year-old patient, who arrived from a Gulf country, was diagnosed during routine screening by the Border Health Services (BHS) at the airport, according to ministry spokesperson Sajid Shah.

The patient was immediately transferred to an isolation ward at PIMS Hospital and is reported to be in stable condition. "The individual is healthy and receiving necessary care," Shah stated.

Dr Mukhtar Bharath, the Prime Minister's Coordinator on National Health Services, highlighted the robust screening measures in place, revealing that BHS had screened 630,000 passengers at the Islamabad airport alone.

"The Ministry of Health is diligently overseeing this system to ensure public safety," Bharath added, stressing that the federal and provincial governments are utilizing all available tools to curb the spread of mpox.

The new case follows Pakistan's fifth confirmed mpox infection last Wednesday, when a 33-year-old patient, also arriving from a Gulf nation, was diagnosed at Islamabad International Airport before travelling to Peshawar.