A worker dilutes poultry serum samples for the ELISA test to detect antibodies against the avian flu virus at the World Organization for Animal Health Reference Laboratory in Campinas, Brazil, April 25, 2023. PHOTO: REUTERS
LAHORE:
Amid flu outbreaks in several parts of the world, questions are being raised about the preparedness of Punjab’s health sector to deal with new aggressive flu variants.
Despite growing concerns from health experts about so-called “super flu” strains and a seasonal increase in flu cases, official response mechanisms in the province appear limited, fragmented and largely reactive.
Health sector sources revealed that health authorities in Punjab lacked clarity on new flu variants circulating globally, including the H3N2 strain, which has been linked to more severe respiratory symptoms in other countries.
No biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) government laboratory in Punjab is testing for the influenza virus, a gap that undermines early detection and containment efforts.
Officials say diagnostic kits to detect modern flu variants, including H3N2, are not available from provincial health authorities.
Even testing kits for seasonal H1N1 flu, considered the most common strain in Pakistan, are reportedly out of stock.
The situation is complicated by reports that testing for seasonal and severe flu variants has also been suspended at the National Institute of Health (NIH), the nation’s premier public health laboratory.
Although screening and diagnostic capabilities remain weak, vaccination efforts are also subject to criticism. The Punjab government has not purchased flu 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 failure to vaccinate during peak flu season could lead to avoidable complications.
The Punjab Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has issued advisories focusing on H1N1 seasonal influenza.
An official alert issued warns of a possible increase in H1N1 flu cases and places all districts of Punjab on high alert. The notice orders public and private hospitals to ensure immediate isolation of suspected H1N1 flu patients, mandatory reporting of cases to a disease surveillance system and timely sending of samples to designated laboratories.
However, health experts say limiting official communication to H1N1 ignores the evolving nature of flu viruses and the possibility of multiple strains circulating simultaneously. “Without testing, we are essentially blind,” said a senior clinician at a teaching hospital. “You can’t manage what you can’t diagnose.”
