Pakistan has reported its second case of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) at Peshawar airport, as confirmed by the national health coordinator on Friday. This comes shortly after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the recent outbreak of the Clade 1b variant of the virus a public health emergency of international concern. The Clade 1b variant has raised global alarm due to its rapid transmission through close contact.
Despite the concern, the WHO has emphasized that the mpox outbreak is not on the scale of Covid-19, as much is already known about the virus and how to control it.
Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmad, the Prime Minister’s coordinator for health, confirmed the latest case in Pakistan, stating that it originated from a Gulf country. He added that the patient was transferred to a hospital after being identified by the health desk at Peshawar airport.
Dr. Mukhtar did not specify whether the strain of the virus in this case had been identified. Earlier in the week, the health ministry clarified that the first mpox case in Pakistan was of the Clade 2 variety, with no cases of the Clade 1b strain reported in the country.
Dr. Mukhtar also assured that the health ministry is maintaining rigorous monitoring through effective screening and surveillance systems at all airports. Border Health Services staff are actively engaged at airports and entry points to scrutinize suspected cases and implement measures to protect the public from potential epidemics.
Dr. Naseem Akhtar, the focal person at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), revealed that on Monday, a 47-year-old traveler from the Middle East was referred to Pims by airport authorities on suspicion of being infected with mpox. The individual, a laborer from Azad Jammu and Kashmir, had been working in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued an urgent advisory regarding the outbreak, as reported by Radio Pakistan. The advisory provides a comprehensive overview of the current global and national situation and offers guidance on prevention, detection, and response strategies for relevant stakeholders.
The WHO had recently escalated its alert level following an outbreak in Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the virus has spread to neighboring countries. Since January 2023, there have been 27,000 cases and over 1,100 deaths, predominantly among children, in the DRC.
So far, only one case each of the Clade 1b variant has been confirmed in Sweden and Thailand, marking the first instances of its spread outside Africa. However, the WHO has not recommended any travel restrictions to curb the spread of mpox.
Mpox typically presents with flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. While it is usually mild, it can be fatal, particularly for children, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems.
