Pakistan has confirmed three cases of monkeypox (Mpox) case of 2024 after a 34-year-old man, who recently returned from Saudi Arabia, becomes first person to tested positive for the virus.
The diagnosis of all patients was confirmed by Khyber Medical University in Peshawar. In which two patients had been confirmed to have the mpox while the third one is still to be confirmed by the National Health Institute in the capital, Islamabad- said Salim Khan, the director general of health services for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Health officials have initiated contact tracing to identify and monitor those who were in close contacts with the patients.
This case follows earlier incidents in 2023 when three Pakistani citizens, aged between 30 and 45, were diagnosed with monkeypox upon arrival at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport. But it remains unclear that which variant is present in these recent cases.
Globally, monkeypox remains a serious health concern. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported 99,518 cases and 208 deaths across 122 countries. The virus, which spreads through close contact, causes symptoms such as fever, rash, and body aches, typically lasting 2 to 4 weeks. Despite its spread, the WHO notes that 99 percent of those infected survive.
On Thursday, global health officials confirmed a new strain of mpox in Sweden, linking it to an ongoing outbreak in Africa. This development followed the WHO’s declaration of a global public health emergency the day before, after the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo spread to neighboring countries.
In Pakistan, 11 cases of monkeypox have been reported since April 2023, with one resulting in death. In response to the ongoing threat, the National Institute of Health has issued an advisory with guidelines for managing and preventing the virus’s spread, urging continued vigilance and public health monitoring.