Pakistan finds first Mpox case in 2024, infected person comes from Saudi Arabia; Screening begins at the airport
Health authorities have introduced contact tracing measures to monitor those who came in close contact with the patient, including fellow passengers on his flight.
Pakistan has reported its first case of monkeypox in 2024, with a 34-year-old man from Mardan testing positive for the virus after returning from Saudi Arabia. The man arrived in Pakistan on August 3 and on reaching Peshawar developed symptoms and was asked to seek medical attention. Khyber Medical University in Peshawar confirmed the diagnosis on August 13, according to the Ministry of Health. Health authorities have introduced contact tracing measures to monitor those who came into close contact with the patient, including fellow passengers on his flight.
The incident is similar to the one in 2023 when three persons were diagnosed with monkeypox at Karachi's Jinnah International Airport. The Director General of Health disclosed that the affected passengers, all Pakistani nationals between the ages of 30 and 45, have been hospitalized at the Infectious Diseases Facility. A recent case highlights the importance of careful surveillance and prompt response to emerging infectious diseases.
Experts call for 'swift action' against Mpox
Even as the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency for Mpox, 'early action' against Mpox (formerly monkeypox) could be crucial to mobilize resources and prevent the spread of the deadly infectious disease, health experts said on Thursday.
Mpox infection has spread to 13 African countries, including Congo, where 14,000 cases and 524 deaths have been reported, the WHO said.
This is the second time in three years that Mpox has reached emergency status. Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) is WHO's highest health alarm.
Mpox is a viral zoonotic disease that was first identified in monkeys in research laboratories in the 1950s, and the first human case was not discovered until the 1970s.
A branch of clade I — clade 1b — is responsible for the recent increase in infections, the UN Health Organization said. Clade 1b of Mpox virus is estimated to have jumped from animal to human as recently as September 2023.
