By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan confirmed its fourth case of mpox on Sunday, after a 47-year-old resident of Peshawar tested positive upon his return from the Gulf region.
“The 47-year-old citizen was isolated on August 29 by the Border Health Services based on symptoms… The affected person came from the Gulf countries,” said a health ministry statement.
This latest case brings the total number of mpox cases in Pakistan to four, with no local transmission reported so far. The country has implemented strict screening protocols at airports and border crossings to prevent the spread of the disease.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern on Aug. 14 due to the rapid spread of the Clade 1b variant. The new strain of the virus, which first emerged in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has since spread to several countries, leading to increased monitoring and preventive measures worldwide.
Notably, all the cases detected in Pakistan were of the Clade 2 variety.
Dr. Irshad Ali Roghani, Public Health Director of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said the medical team at Peshawar Airport transferred the patient to the Police and Services Hospital after he showed symptoms during screening.
“The rapid response team took samples from the patient’s wound in the hospital and sent it to the laboratory,” Roghani said. “The Public Health Reference Laboratory confirmed mpox in the patient, and the patient is in a stable condition and undergoing treatment at the hospital.”
Dr. Mukhtar Bhart, the Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Health, emphasized the government’s commitment to preventing the spread of mpox and protecting the public.
“Practical measures are ongoing to protect the public from epidemics,” he said. “We are committed to ensuring all possible measures.”
Dr. Bhart added that the Ministry of Health, alongside provincial health departments, was actively monitoring the situation and coordinating efforts to prevent any further spread of the virus.
“Our goal is to protect the public from potential outbreaks, and we are prepared to take all necessary actions to achieve this,” he added.
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