PESHAWAR 31 August 2024 (TDI): Pakistani health authorities confirmed the country’s third case of mpox on Saturday, all of which have been reported in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department said that the latest patient, a 51-year-old resident of Peshawar, was diagnosed after returning from abroad and being screened at the airport. Dr. Irshad, the director of the Public Health Department in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, stated that the patient’s symptoms were identified upon arrival at Peshawar Airport on Thursday.
The Rapid Response Team collected wound swabs from the patient and the tests returned positive from the National Institute of Health late Friday night. The patient was then transferred to the Police Services Hospital, where a six-bed ward has been designated specifically for mpox cases.
The two previous mpox cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also had travel histories.
The health ministry reported that two suspected cases were isolated at Peshawar Airport by Border Health Services staff. Samples were sent to the Peshawar Reference Public Laboratory at Khyber Medical University, where one tested positive. This affected individual is also from Peshawar, with travel history including Gulf countries.
In response to the rising number of cases, Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Health, Dr. Mukhtar Bhart, said that Pakistan has implemented an effective strategy to combat mpox. He noted that Border Health Services staff are working diligently at airports, and the country’s disease surveillance system is robust. Both federal and provincial administrations are collaborating to enforce preventive measures.
Also Read More: WHO Chief Talks to UN On Mpox Outbreak In Congo
Mpox, which causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions, was declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO) on August 14. The disease, first identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has spread to neighboring states.
In response, Pakistan has heightened alert levels at airports and border entry points and is enforcing strict monitoring to prevent further spread of the virus.
