A worker dilutes poultry serum samples for ELISA tests to detect antibodies to avian influenza virus at the reference laboratory of the World Organization for Animal Health in Campinas, Brazil April 25, 2023. PHOTO: REUTERS
LAHORE:
Amid flu outbreaks in several parts of the world, questions are being raised about the Punjab health sector’s preparedness to deal with new aggressive flu strains.
Despite growing concern among health experts about so-called “superflu” strains and a seasonal spike in flu cases, official response mechanisms in the province appear limited, fragmented and largely reactive.
Sources in the health sector revealed that Punjab health authorities lacked clarity about new flu strains circulating globally, including the H3N2 strain, which has been linked to more severe respiratory symptoms in other countries.
No government-run Biosafety Level-3 (BSL-3) laboratory in Punjab conducts influenza virus testing, a gap that undermines early detection and containment efforts.
According to officials, diagnostic kits to detect modern flu strains, including H3N2, are not available at the provincial health authorities.
Even test kits for seasonal influenza H1N1, considered to be the most common strain in Pakistan, are reportedly sold out.
Complicating the situation are reports that testing for both seasonal and severe flu strains has also been suspended at the National Institute of Health (NIH), the nation’s leading public health laboratory.
While testing and diagnosis capacity remains weak, vaccination efforts are also subject to criticism. The Punjab government has not made any procurement of influenza vaccines this season.
As a result, free or subsidized vaccination is not available in public hospitals, leaving low-income patients particularly vulnerable.
Health experts warn that the absence of a vaccination campaign during peak flu season could lead to preventable complications.
The Punjab Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has issued guidelines focusing on seasonal influenza H1N1.
An official alert circulated warns of a possible rise in H1N1 cases and puts all districts of Punjab on high alert. The advisory directs both public and private hospitals to ensure immediate isolation of suspected H1N1 patients, mandatory reporting of cases to a disease surveillance system and timely dispatch of samples to designated laboratories.
However, health experts argue that limiting official communication to H1N1 ignores influenza virus evolution and the possibility of multiple strains circulating simultaneously. “Without testing, we’re essentially blind,” said a senior clinician at a teaching hospital. “You can’t manage what you can’t diagnose.”
