First two Monkeypox patients recover in Pakistan, says health ministry

Health officials confirmed on Sunday that the first two monkeypox cases reported in Pakistan last week have recovered from the virus.

The individual deported from Saudi Arabia, treated at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital in Islamabad, has been discharged, stated the ministry's officials.

The other person, in home quarantine, is also in stable condition now.

On Sunday, Lahore's General Hospital (GH) administration reported two new suspected monkeypox cases. The patients, under treatment for two days, display symptoms like fever and red spots, with one also having blisters on the body.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has assured Pakistan of assistance in containing the monkeypox virus. In a statement on Saturday, WHO said it has been working with Pakistan's government to investigate the virus's spread.

Also read: No mpox in Khanewal: official

An official from the Ministry of National Health Services confirmed no localised transmission of monkeypox in Pakistan, and that the risk of international spread remains low. The WHO has not recommended trade restrictions based on current information about monkeypox outbreaks.

Monkeypox is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, with common symptoms including a skin rash or mucosal lesions, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.

The virus can be transmitted through contact with infected individuals, materials, or animals.