Mpox Cases
Two additional cases of mpox have been identified in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to an announcement by the provincial health department on Friday.
This brings the total number of mpox cases reported across Pakistan to three. The detection of these cases follows the confirmation of the first suspected mpox case of the year just a day prior, which prompted a response from the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).
The NCOC has issued an advisory outlining measures to manage and control the spread of the disease.
The outbreak of mpox, previously known as monkeypox, has garnered international attention. The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the situation in Africa as a public health emergency of international concern on Wednesday.
This designation is the WHO’s highest level of alert and comes in response to the spread of the disease from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to neighboring countries.
Historically, Pakistan has encountered cases of mpox, but it remains unclear which variant of the virus has been detected in the current patients.
According to Salim Khan, the Director General of Health Services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, two patients have been confirmed with mpox, while samples from a third patient have been sent to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Islamabad for further confirmation. All three individuals are currently under quarantine.
The provincial health department revealed that the mpox infection was identified upon the patients’ return from the United Arab Emirates.
This highlights the potential for international travel to contribute to the spread of the disease.
At the global level, health officials reported a new strain of the mpox virus in Sweden on Thursday, which is linked to the ongoing outbreak in Africa. Since the outbreak began in January 2023, there have been 27,000 cases and over 1,100 deaths in the DRC alone.
The disease has claimed 548 lives this year in the African nation. Mpox, caused by the monkeypox virus, can lead to severe symptoms including a painful rash, swollen lymph nodes, and fever, and can significantly impact the health of affected individuals.
The situation underscores the importance of global vigilance and coordinated health responses to manage and contain the spread of mpox.
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