Pakistan Tightens Airport Screening as Ebola Cases Emerge in Uganda

Pakistan's health ministry said Saturday that it has intensified screening measures at airports across the country and has ordered provinces and the Border Health Services to remain on alert, moving to prevent the possible spread of the Ebola virus outbreak currently centered in East Africa.

The announcement came a day after the World Health Organisation upgraded its risk assessment for the disease, which the ministry said remains limited to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda. Even so, Pakistan's health officials characterized the risk to the country as "extremely low" because of limited travel links with the affected nations.

Coverage of the Measures

According to the health ministry, Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal directed authorities to implement precautionary screening protocols at all airports to prevent the possible spread of the virus. The ministry also said the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the WHO office in Pakistan were continuously monitoring the situation. Pakistan's ability to diagnose Ebola was confirmed, with officials noting that the NIH possesses the facility to test Ebola samples.

The ministry advised citizens traveling to African countries to review travel and health advisories issued by those countries before departure, and noted that the WHO has recommended enhanced precautionary surveillance measures but has not advised any travel restrictions.

Dawn, which reported the handout, also quoted Chief of the Centre for Disease Control at the NIH, Dr. Mumtaz Ali Khan, saying the institution possessed the facility to test samples for the virus.

The ministry noted it has never reported an Ebola case in Pakistan or its neighboring countries.

Key Events in the Outbreak

Beyond the Pakistani response, the story of the current outbreak extends to Africa, where several notable developments have been reported:

  • Red Cross volunteer deaths: Three volunteers with the Red Cross are reported to have died in the DRC after contracting Ebola.
  • Ugandan cases: Three new Ebola cases have been confirmed in Uganda, which would bring the total in that country to five.
  • Regional risk: The African Union's health agency has warned that 10 countries are at risk of being affected by the virus, including Kenya and Rwanda.
While the risk to Pakistan is described as low, the outbreak continues to expand its footprint in East Africa, with the WHO upgrading its global risk assessment.

Virus traits and response

The ministry described Ebola as a deadly viral disease that spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected persons, and can cause severe bleeding and organ failure. The ministry said there are no approved vaccines or therapeutics for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola that is behind the current outbreak, a strain that has previously appeared only twice — in Uganda in 2007 and the DRC in 2012.

Perspectives

The main perspective is that of the Pakistani health authorities: precautionary but not alarmed. The ministry's emphasis is that the measures are being taken out of an abundance of caution, with the risk to the country assessed as low.

A second perspective is that of the WHO, which has recommended heightened surveillance across the board but has not recommended turning to travel restrictions. The WHO's upgraded risk assessment is what the Pakistani ministry says it is responding to.

A third perspective is that of the African Union's health agency, which casts the situation as a broader regional threat, with 10 countries at risk, including major travel hubs like Kenya and Rwanda.

The situation continues to be monitored by the NIH and the WHO's office in Pakistan, and the health ministry has asked all provinces and the Border Health Services to remain on alert.