Pakistan confirms eighth Mpox case in 2024

Islamabad [Pakistan], December 20(ANI): Pakistan reported its eighth case of Mpox this year on Thursday, involving a 30-year-old labourer who arrived at Islamabad Airport from Saudi Arabia, as reported by the Dawn.

According to Dawn, the passenger, who was exhibiting fever and other symptoms, was promptly transferred to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), where tests confirmed the diagnosis.

The individual, a resident of Upper Dir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is currently in stable condition and has been admitted to an isolation ward. Health officials assured that the patient is out of danger.

The official stated, “We have started contact tracing passengers who were sitting near the patient. Moreover, Saudi Arabia has also been informed to trace people where the labourer used to reside and work.”

In response, health authorities have initiated contact tracing to identify passengers seated near the patient on the flight. Additionally, Saudi authorities have been notified to track people who were in contact with the labourer during his stay in the country. According to officials, all cases of mpox detected in Pakistan have involved travellers arriving from abroad, with no instances of local transmission reported.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern on August 14, 2022. The virus is classified into two primary clades: Clade I and Clade II. The recent global outbreak (2022-2023) has been predominantly linked to Clade II, which is associated with milder symptoms than Clade I. In contrast, Clade Ib, responsible for the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, tends to be more severe. Health authorities in Pakistan confirmed that no cases of Clade I have been reported in the country.

Mpox, which spreads through close contact, typically causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled skin lesions. The virus, caused by the monkeypox virus, continues to raise concerns globally, though the current strain in Pakistan has been mild, with no evidence of community transmission.