Suspected mpox case reported in Karachi

Patient shows maculopapular rash; sample sent for lab testing.

A 32-year-old individual has been admitted to Nipa Infectious Diseases Hospital in Karachi following symptoms consistent with monkeypox.

The patient, who recently travelled from Jeddah to Karachi, is presenting with a maculopapular rash across their body.

The patient’s condition prompted health officials to send samples to a laboratory for further analysis.

The health department has issued a statement confirming that they are closely monitoring the situation and taking all necessary precautions.

Authorities are awaiting the test results to confirm whether the patient has contracted monkeypox.

In the meantime, hospital staff are following stringent protocols to manage and isolate the case, ensuring the safety of both the patient and the public.

“We are treating this case with the utmost seriousness and are prepared for all possible outcomes,” said a spokesperson from the health department.

So far, there are two confirmed cases of mpox in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa from Mardan and Nowshera. Another two suspected cases in Peshawar are awaiting test results.

Authority have called for effective screening at all entry and exit points of the country and also called for the provision of isolation facilities for suspected passengers, along with regular cleaning and disinfection of airport lounges.

The first cases of the mpox outside of Africa were recorded this month, in Sweden and Pakistan.

There are three strains of the virus, of which one is the new more deadly and more transmissible Clade 1b which prompted the World Health Organisation (WHO) to declare an international health emergency - the agency's highest alert.

Mpox infections surged worldwide in May 2022, mostly affecting gay and bisexual men due to the Clade 2b subclade, but cases have largely subsided.

Around 16,000 cases have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the epicentre of the epidemic which has killed 548 people in the country so far.