Monkeypox Threat: CAA begins screening at Karachi airport

Following the news of two cases of Monkeypox, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has begun screening travelers at Karachi's Jinnah International Airport.

According to CAA officials, airport personnel have begun performing comprehensive medical examinations on all passengers arriving from foreign countries.
The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) has made it necessary for airport personnel, including porters, to wear masks and gloves.

Furthermore, airport personnel is prohibited from providing any protocol to travelers regardless of status or grade; all international passengers will be subjected to a thorough medical inspection; and suspected passengers will be immediately isolated and transported to a hospital.

It is worth noting that for the first time, two instances of monkeypox were recorded in Pakistan, which was confirmed by the health department on Tuesday.

Monkeypox patients, according to the health ministry, are from Rawalpindi and Islamabad. According to sources, both individuals landed in Pakistan on the same flight from Saudi Arabia on April 17 and were suffering from the contagious condition.

The pox victims were reportedly transferred to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital, and their blood samples were sent to the National Institute of Health (NIH).