ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has isolated a person suffering from monkeypox (Mpox) virus, said an official statement on Wednesday, only a day after announcing its first case of the disease which had affected a resident of Islamabad returning from an international flight.

According to the health ministry, the country took a total of 22 samples of suspected cases since last year in May but found no evidence of any local outbreak. The World Health Organization (WHO), however, declared Mpox a public health emergency of international concern in July 2022. So far, there have been about 87,000 confirmed cases of the disease internationally with 119 related deaths.

Mpox is a viral zoonotic disease caused by a pox virus (MPXV). It can be transmitted from infected animals to humans or from infected humans to others humans via close contacts and droplets.

“The first [monkeypox] case has been confirmed by [the National Institute of Health] among travelers who arrived recently in Pakistan and has been isolated at [the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences] hospital along with others who are being investigated,” said the health ministry’s statement. “As there is no evidence of localized transmission of Mpox as of now in Pakistan, the risk of international spread of disease from Pakistan remains low.”

Pakistan has also put airports on high alert to ensure medical screening of inbound passengers.

The health authorities are also trying to ensure enhanced surveillance through laboratory diagnostics, contact tracing, and rapid identification of suspected cases to provide optimal clinical care and prevent the spread of the disease.

Mpox can lead to high fever, headache, exhaustion, muscle and backaches, and swollen lymph nodes.