Pakistan has confirmed its fourth case of the mpox virus in Peshawar, according to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Public Health Director, Dr. Irshad Ali Roghani, on Sunday. This follows a declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO) earlier this month, identifying the outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern due to the detection of a new variant, Clade 1b, which spreads easily through routine close contact.
Despite concerns, WHO has stated that the mpox outbreak is not akin to Covid-19, given the existing knowledge about the virus and established control measures.
Dr. Roghani detailed that the latest patient was transferred to the Police and Services Hospital (PSH) in Peshawar by a medical team after showing symptoms during screening at Peshawar Airport. A rapid response team collected a wound sample, which was sent to a laboratory where the presence of the mpox virus was confirmed. The patient is reported to be in stable condition and is receiving treatment.
This marks the fourth confirmed case in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with the patient being a resident of Peshawar. No local transmissions have been reported so far. The provincial health department has established an integrated surveillance and response system to monitor the situation.
The health ministry earlier clarified that the first detected case of mpox in Pakistan was of the clade 2 variant, with subsequent cases also identified at Peshawar Airport. The third case was confirmed on Saturday when medical personnel at Bacha Khan International Airport spotted two travelers displaying symptoms.
The WHO raised its highest alert level over the outbreak in Africa, particularly after cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo spread to neighboring countries, resulting in over 27,000 cases and more than 1,100 deaths, mainly among children, since January 2023. The Clade 1b variant has also been confirmed in Sweden and Thailand, marking its spread outside Africa, but the WHO has not recommended travel restrictions to contain its spread.
Mpox presents with flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. While it is usually mild, it can be fatal, especially for children, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems.
