- The patient a 51-year-old man from Orakzai who travelled from Jeddah is in stable condition: Dr Roghani
PESHAWAR: Pakistan has confirmed its third case of the mpox virus, previously known as monkeypox, at Bacha Khan International Airport, according to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Health Director Dr Irshad Ali Roghani.
This comes as global concern grows over the new Clade 1b variant, recently identified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a public health emergency of international concern.
Dr Irshad reported that medical personnel at the airport detected two travellers displaying symptoms of mpox on Thursday.
Both individuals, who were on the same flight from Jeddah, were promptly transferred to Police and Services Hospital (PSH) for treatment.
The confirmed case involves a 51-year-old man from Orakzai, who is reported to be in stable condition and receiving care at PSH.
This case marks the third confirmed instance of mpox in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this year.
No locally transmitted cases have been recorded thus far.
Dr Irshad emphasised that while the Clade 1b variant spreads easily through close contact, the current outbreak does not equate to another Covid-19 scenario, as substantial knowledge and control measures for the virus are already in place.
The health ministry had previously noted that the first mpox case in Pakistan was of the clade 2 variety.
Last week’s second case was also detected at Peshawar airport, highlighting the importance of vigilance and prompt response in managing the outbreak.
“We are closely monitoring the situation and have implemented all necessary measures to control the spread,” Dr Irshad assured.
Meanwhile, samples from the second patient, a 47-year-old man from Peshawar, were also sent to the laboratory for tests and awaited results, Dr Roghani said.
The KP health department has created an integrated surveillance and response system for mpox, the official added.
Meanwhile, a suspected case of mpox was reported at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport, the Sindh health department said in a statement on Saturday.
A sample from the traveller, who had also arrived from Jeddah, has been sent to a laboratory for further confirmation. The 32-year-old was then admitted to Nipa Infectious Diseases Hospital with symptoms of “maculopapular rash over body”.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Health Services has said that the mpox virus was under control in Pakistan.
A ministry spokesperson claimed that screening of suspected patients was under way across the country and those showing symptoms were being sent to isolation wards in hospitals to avoid local transmission of the virus.
The WHO sounded its highest level of alert over the outbreak in Africa 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 DRC since the current outbreak began in January 2023.
One case each of the clade 1b variant has been confirmed in Sweden and Thailand so far — the first signs of its spread outside the continent. However, the WHO has not urged any travel restrictions to curb the spread of mpox.
The disease presents with flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. It is usually mild but can kill, and children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of complications.
