ISLAMABAD: Pakistan reported its first mpox case of 2025, detected during screening by Border Health Services staff at the Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar.
According to the Ministry of Health spokesperson, the suspected case tested positive, bringing the total number of Mpox cases to 10 since the health emergency was declared last year.
Addressing a presser here in Islamabad on Saturday, Health Coordinator Dr Mukhtar Bharth informed that the patient had a travel history linked to Gulf countries.
“We are ensuring effective measures to protect the public from Mpox. All airports have robust screening systems in place, and compliance with International Health Regulations is being ensured. Both federal and provincial governments are committed to combating Mpox,” Dr Bharth stated.
Meanwhile, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Health Advisor Ehtesham Ali confirmed that the first Mpox case of 2025 was reported at Peshawar Airport.
Upon detection, the Public Health team immediately reached the airport.
He further added, “The Public Health team transferred the patient to Police Services Hospital, from where the patient’s samples were sent to the Public Health Reference Lab. Mpox was confirmed in a 35-year-old individual who arrived from Dubai.”
The Provincial Health Advisor also mentioned that a letter has been sent to the Peshawar Airport Manager requesting passenger details of those in proximity to the patient.
“Once passenger information is received, respective District Health Officers (DHOs) will be notified for contact tracing,” he added.
The statement revealed that a total of 10 Mpox cases have been reported in the province so far, with two in 2023, seven in 2024, and the first case of 2025.
It urged the public to practice social distancing and remain vigilant.
Last year, the health ministry confirmed the country’s eighth case of the mpox virus this year, involving a 32-year-old patient who had recently returned from the Gulf.
The patient has been isolated and is receiving treatment, according to Health Ministry spokesperson Sajid Shah. “He is experiencing mild symptoms and is expected to recover soon,”
Pakistan reported its first mpox case in August and has since implemented rigorous screening protocols at airports and border crossings to curb the virus’s spread.
While a mutated strain of mpox, clade I, prompted the World Health Organisation to declare a global health emergency in August, Pakistan has not yet reported any cases of this new variant.
Clade I first emerged in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has since spread internationally, prompting heightened monitoring and preventive measures.
