Pakistan's mpox cases rise to three as K-P reports two more infections

The number of patients diagnosed with the mpox virus in Pakistan has reached three with another suspected case awaiting confirmation.

Salim Khan, the director general of health services for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. said on Friday that two more patients were detected on their arrival from the United Arab Emirates,

A third patient's samples had been sent to the National Health Institute in the capital, Islamabad, for confirmation, he said, adding all three patients were being quarantined.

Pakistan earlier on Thursday reported this year's first case of mpox diagnosed in a Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa citizen who recently returned home from Saudi Arabia.

Border Health Services Pakistan has in response issued a directive mandating stringent surveillance and precautionary measures at all entry points across the country.

The new guidelines instruct enhanced screening procedures for travelers at airports and other entry points.

Passengers exhibiting suspected injuries or related symptoms are to be isolated immediately and reported for further evaluation.

Additionally, the directive emphasises the need to reactivate existing systems at these points to effectively manage and counter any potential virus threats.

The World Health Organization has declared recent outbreak of the disease as a public health emergency of international concern after a new variant of the virus has been identified.

Pakistan has had cases of mpox, also called monkeypox, previously. It was not immediately clear which variant was detected in the patients.

Global health officials on Thursday confirmed an infection with a new strain of the mpox virus in Sweden and linked it to a growing outbreak in Africa, the first sign of its spread outside the continent a day after the World Health Organization declared the disease a global public health emergency.

The WHO on Wednesday declared the outbreak in Africa a public health emergency of international concern, its highest level of alert, after cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo spread to nearby countries.

There have been 27,000 cases and more than 1,100 deaths, mainly among children, in Congo since the current outbreak began in January 2023.

The disease, caused by the monkeypox virus, can cause a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fever and can make some people very ill, the WHO website says.