Mpox Cases Detected in Pakistan

Pakistan has reported three new cases of the mpox virus, commonly known as monkeypox, according to the health department in the northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. These infections were detected in the patients upon their arrival from the United Arab Emirates.

Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a new outbreak of mpox as a public health emergency of international concern, especially due to a newly identified variant of the virus. This isn’t the first time Pakistan has faced cases of mpox.

Salim Khan, the director general of health services for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, confirmed that two of the patients have already been diagnosed with mpox, while the samples from the third patient have been sent to the National Health Institute in Islamabad for further confirmation. In the meantime, all three individuals are being quarantined.

A spokesperson for Pakistan’s national Health Ministry added that there’s also one suspected case of mpox in the country. Meanwhile, global health officials recently identified a new strain of the virus in Sweden, linking it to an expanding outbreak in Africa.

The WHO expressed its alarm as the outbreak, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has intensified, prompting the declaration of a global public health emergency last Wednesday. Since the beginning of this outbreak in January 2023, there have been about 27,000 cases and over 1,100 deaths reported, primarily affecting children in Congo.

Mpox can lead to a painful rash, swollen lymph nodes, and fever, making some individuals significantly ill, according to the WHO’s website.