On Friday, 16th August, at least three patients were diagnosed with the monkeypox virus in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan, as confirmed to the local news channels by health officials. The health agency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa revealed that all patients who arrived from an Arab nation were infected with the virus.
According to the local reports, Pakistan has previously experienced occurrences of Mponkeypox, and it is unclear what kind of variant was identified in the victims at present. The authorities confirmed that the first man who was diagnosed with the pox belonged to the city of Dir and is currently residing in Mardan. He had recently arrived from Saudi Arabia on August 3rd after which he fell ill resulting in the diagnosis of monkeypox.
Earlier, airport security was increased across Pakistan after the government confirmed its first case of monkeypox in Peshawar. Meanwhile, the Border Health Services (BHS) and provincial authorities have been placed on heightened alert following the discovery of the case in the country’s northwestern province.
Authorities have directed that isolation wards be established in selected hospitals, antiviral drugs be stockpiled, and personal protective equipment (PPE) be made available to healthcare personnel, as well as all healthcare facilities and points of entry.
More samples have been taken from people who have had frequent contact with the patients after the detection. To stop more cases from invading the nation, the Health Ministry has also ordered increased monitoring at all points of entry.
This case represents the inaugural occurrence of the disease in 2024 and the eleventh case in Pakistan over the last two years. A patient who had both HIV and Monkeypox died at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad last year.
Ten cases of proven monkeypox in Pakistan during the previous year were all connected to visitors from the Middle East and other areas. While up to 10% of cases of clade I monkeypox have resulted in deaths, more recent outbreaks have had lower death rates, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Clade II has a mortality rate of less than 0.2%.
Pregnant women, those with weak immune systems, and babies are among those most vulnerable to more serious illnesses caused by monkeypox. The initial symptoms of this disease are usually similar to those of the flu and include fever, chills, fatigue, headache, and weakness in the muscles. A painful or itchy rash with elevated lesions that scabs over and goes away over several weeks is frequently what follows.
