Third M-Pox Case Confirmed in Pakistan amid Global Alert

A third case of the M-Pox virus has been confirmed in Pakistan, with the infected traveler identified at Peshawar airport. The World Health Organization recently declared the outbreak a public health emergency. Pakistan's health authorities are intensifying surveillance and response efforts to curb the spread of the virus.

A third case of the M-Pox virus has been confirmed in Pakistan, officials reported. The patient was identified at Peshawar airport, according to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Health Director Dr. Irshad Ali Roghani. Another suspected patient has also been hospitalized for further testing.

Earlier this month, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern over the recent M-Pox outbreak after identifying a new variant, Clade 1b. This variant has raised global alarms due to its ease of transmission through routine close contact. However, the WHO clarified that the M-Pox outbreak is not akin to Covid-19, as much is already known about its control.

Pakistan's health ministry confirmed that the first detected case in the country involved the Clade 2 variant. The second case, also identified at Peshawar airport, was confirmed last week. Medical teams at Bacha Khan International Airport recently detected two travelers showing M-Pox symptoms, who were then transferred to Police and Services Hospital for treatment. Suspected Passengers Data Forms revealed both passengers had traveled from Jeddah to Peshawar.

The third confirmed case involves a 51-year-old man from Orakzai, now in stable condition at Police and Services Hospital. "This is the third confirmed case of M-Pox in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2024," Roghani stated, noting the absence of locally transmitted cases. Samples from the second patient, a 47-year-old man from Peshawar, are still being analyzed.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department has set up an integrated surveillance and response system for M-Pox. WHO raised its highest alert level after cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo spread to neighboring countries, resulting in 27,000 cases and over 1,100 deaths since January 2023, mostly among children.

The Clade 1b variant has reached Sweden and Thailand, but WHO has not recommended travel restrictions. M-Pox presents with flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions and can be severe in children, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals.