ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has isolated another person suspected of carrying the monkeypox (mpox) virus in Karachi, the provincial Sindh Health Department said on Wednesday, a week after the first two cases of the infectious disease were confirmed in the country.
Monkeypox is a zoonotic infection that can spread from animals to humans. The viral disease can also be contracted from one person to another and cause high fever, rashes, and body pains.
“The suspected case of monkeypox is currently in quarantine with his samples sent to a lab for confirmation,” the Sindh Health Department said in a statement. “The suspect was working as a driver in Jeddah, and came to Karachi through Muscat, Oman.”
The department said the suspect had a fever for the last seven days and later developed maculopapular rashes on his face, back, and lower back.
Pakistan confirmed its first two cases of mpox last week, saying both the affected individuals had recently arrived from trips abroad. One of the patients was symptomatic while the other sat next to him on the plane and contracted the virus. Both are in stable condition but still under observation.
Following the confirmation of the first two cases, the health ministry said there was as yet “no evidence of localized transmission of Mpox” in Pakistan and the risk of the international spread of the disease from the South Asian country remained low.
The government also put airports on high alert to ensure medical screening of inbound passengers and has requested the World Health Organization (WHO) to provide a monkeypox vaccine for frontline healthcare workers.
The WHO declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern in July 2022. There are currently 87,000 confirmed cases of the disease internationally, with 119 deaths.
