KARACHI: Following the first confirmed case of monkeypox in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) has issued directives to all airlines operating in Pakistan to ramp up preventive measures against the virus.
The confirmed case involves a man who recently returned from Saudi Arabia, and his current whereabouts are unknown, according to a health officer from Mardan district.
In light of a new, more contagious strain of monkeypox that was first identified outside Africa on August 15 in Sweden, the PCAA’s guidelines are timely. This strain has been linked to an ongoing outbreak on the continent and is known to spread more readily through close contact.
To combat the spread of the virus, the PCAA has instructed airlines to provide masks to all passengers and mandate their use by both airline and ground staff. Additional measures include the regular sanitization of hands and the proper disinfection of luggage.
Furthermore, the guidelines stipulate that any passenger showing symptoms of monkeypox should be isolated immediately.
These directives aim to safeguard public health by minimizing the risk of monkeypox transmission within the country and from international travelers.
