The third case of monkeypox (mpox) was detected at Peshawar’s Bacha Khan International Airport, while another suspected patient was transferred to a sanatorium, confirmed Dr. Irshad Ali Roghani, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Public Health Director, on Saturday.
This follows the recent declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO) of the mpox outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern. The emergence of the Clade 1b variant has caused global concern due to its transmission through close contact.
The Ministry of Health also confirmed that a second case of the Clade 2 variant was detected at the same airport last week. Dr. Roghani noted that two travelers showing symptoms of the virus were promptly moved to Police Services Hospital (PHS) for further care.
One confirmed patient, a 51-year-old man from Orakzai, was diagnosed with mpox, while the results for the second suspected patient are still pending. So far, this is the third confirmed mpox case in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with no reports of local transmission.
In another development, Sindh’s health department reported a suspected case of mpox at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport.
The Ministry of National Health Services has assured that the situation is under control and precautionary measures are being enforced to prevent the spread of the virus.
The WHO has warned that mpox can be severe for children, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems. Over 27,000 cases and 1,100 deaths have been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo since January 2023, putting the global health community on high alert.
