Another monkeypox case reported in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday reported another case of mpox, previously known as monkeypox, taking the national tally to five, ARY News reported, citing sources.

Sources told ARY News that a 50-year-old man was tested positive for monkeypox in Islamabad. The patient arrived from Saudi Arabia on May 21 via Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK 760.

He was admitted to the isolation ward of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) after being referred by the authorities at the Islamabad airport.

“The patient’s blood sample was collected and sent to the National Institute of Health (NIH). Later, the institute confirmed that it was a positive case,” sources claimed.

Meanwhile, sources within PIMS claimed that the 50-year-old man, who arrived from Saudi Arabia, has been confirmed with virus. “Patient is in isolation ward and in stable condition”, sources added.

All five monkeypox patients in Pakistan arrived from Saudi Arabia. Of them, four patients belong to Islamabad and one Karachi, the NIH added.

A day earlier, a 19-year-old woman tested positive for monkeypox in Islamabad. She had arrived from Saudi Arabia and admitted to the isolation ward of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims).

Monkeypox is a rare but potentially fatal disease caused by a virus that is similar to the human smallpox virus. It is transmitted from animals to humans and can be transmitted from human to human through close contact.

The disease is treated with supportive care. Vaccines and therapeutics developed for smallpox and approved for use in some countries can be used for the disease in some circumstances.

Mpox was declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organisation in July 2022. The organisation maintained its alert in November.

In November, the organisation named the disease mpox to replace the older term monkeypox, citing concerns of stigma and racism associated with the name.