First locally transmitted mpox case

Peshawar woman likely infected by husband, officials say

PESHAWAR:

The country's first locally transmitted case of mpox infection has been reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's (K-P) provincial capital, authorities confirmed on Sunday.

The K-P chief minister's adviser on health, Ihtesham Ali, confirmed another case of mpox in the province. "This is the first locally transmitted (community) case of mpox in the K-P as all previous reported cases were linked to international travel," he said in a statement.

The adviser said the infected woman's husband had recently returned from a Gulf country. While he initially showed no symptoms, he was later confirmed to be infected with mpox as well, he added.

According to Director of Public Health Dr Fazal Majeed, the female patient was admitted to a hospital on February 18 after experiencing fever and body aches.

"On February 19, rashes appeared on her body and inside her mouth, after which Public Health Coordinator Dr Muhammad Aamir Khan reported the suspected case on February 20.

"A team from the Public Health Section collected samples and sent them to the Public Health Reference Laboratory at the Khyber Medical University, Peshawar, where monkeypox (mpox) was confirmed on February 21, 2025," he added.

According to Dr Majeed, the patient's husband had shown no symptoms of the infection upon his arrival in Pakistan. However, on February 5, he developed fever and body aches, followed by the appearance of rashes on his body and inside his mouth on February 6.

Despite this, he chose to stay at home for 10-15 days instead of seeking medical treatment.

Later a rapid response team was formed, led by Public Health Coordinator Dr Muhammad Aamir Khan and Dr Fauzia Afridi on the instruction of the K-P Director General of Health Services.

"The team conducted a detailed medical history of the infected patient on February 22, 2025. The patient's husband and close family members were also screened, and necessary preventive measures were implemented, including home isolation for the affected household."

Dr Majeed urged the public to stay informed about mpox symptoms and to immediately visit the nearest healthcare facility if any suspicious symptoms develop.

Pakistan registered its first mpox case in August 2024. Since then a number of travelers usually arriving from Gulf states have been tested positive for the disease. Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, a species of the genus Orthopoxvirus.