The Public Health Director of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dr. Irshad Ali Roghani, announced the confirmation of the fourth case of the MPOX virus in Peshawar. This comes after the recent declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO) of the outbreak of the disease as a public health emergency of international concern. The new variant of the virus, Clade 1b, has raised global concern due to its ability to easily spread through routine close contact.
However, the WHO has emphasized that the MPOX outbreak is not another COVID-19, as there is already substantial knowledge about the virus and how to control it. The patient was transferred to the Police and Services Hospital (PSH) after showing symptoms during the screening at Peshawar Airport. Samples from the patient’s wound were sent to the laboratory for testing, and the Public Health Reference Laboratory confirmed the presence of MPOX.
The patient, who is in a stable condition, is currently receiving treatment at the hospital. It was revealed that the patient is from Peshawar district, marking the fourth confirmed case of MPOX in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The health department of the province has established an integrated surveillance and response system for MPOX.
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Previously, the first MPOX case detected in Pakistan was of the Clade 2 variety. Subsequent cases include the second case confirmed last week and the third case identified at Bacha Khan International Airport. The WHO has issued a high-level alert over the outbreak in Africa, with cases spreading to nearby countries and causing significant fatalities, mainly among children.
The Clade 1b variant has also been confirmed in Sweden and Thailand, indicating its spread outside the African continent. Despite this, the WHO has not recommended travel restrictions to control the spread of MPOX. The disease manifests with flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions, posing a higher risk of complications for children, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems.
