Twenty expatriates test negative for mpox

As many as twenty passengers returning from Saudi Arabia tested negative for monkeypox (mpox) disease after spending 14 days in home isolation.

According to sources, the passengers were kept under observation during the fortnight to mitigate the risk of spreading the contagious disease. They said the suspected patients were first tested for the disease at the Islamabad International Airport by health authorities.

A spokesperson for the health department said currently, the district does not have a single monkeypox-positive case. However, he said, a campaign has been launched to educate the public about the viral disease that according to some epidemiologists has the potential to start yet another global pandemic.

On the other hand, Pakistan’s National Institute of Health has issued a countrywide high alert for the relevant authorities to take measures related to monkeypox.

It has asked the officials concerned to launch a campaign to raise public awareness about the little-known illness caused by a virus usually found in animals like monkeys and African rodents.

The virus transmits to humans through contact with the mentioned animals.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 4^th, 2023.