KARACHI: Karachi reported two monkeypox (mpox) cases within two days this week, a health official said on Sunday, confirming that the infections were locally transmitted as the patients did not have any travel history.

The mpox virus can spread to humans from an animal host, such as rodents or non-human primates like monkeys, and from humans themselves. A person infected with mpox suffers from flu-like symptoms and an itchy, painful rash. While historically localized to parts of Africa, a global outbreak in 2022 led to a surge in cases worldwide.

Sindh has reported 43 confirmed mpox cases so far this year, with 15 of them from its capital, Karachi. A 35-year-old resident of Karachi’s Shah Faisal Colony area tested positive for the disease on Friday, while a 45-year-old resident of the city’s Surjani Town tested positive for it on Thursday, a Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital and Research Center (SIDH&RC) official told Arab News.

SIDH&RC medical superintendent Dr. Abdul Wahid Rajput said the hospital admitted 16 mpox patients so far this year, including people from Karachi and other districts of Sindh.

“None of the patients had a travel history,” he said, adding that most of the infections were locally transmitted.

Of the 16 patients, Dr. Rajput said 12 have been discharged after treatment while four remain hospitalized. Three are in stable condition while one patient, who has a pre-existing lung disease, is unwell, the SIDH&RC official said.

Sindh Health Department (SHD) spokesperson Shakeel Dogar told Arab News that some patients treated at the Karachi infectious diseases hospital were residents of other districts of Sindh, which is why the hospital had 16 patients, but the confirmed tally of cases was 15.

’MPOX ON THE RISE’

Prof. Dr. Saeed Khan, a microbiologist and molecular pathology expert at the Dow University of Health Sciences, said the continued emergence of infections required vigilance, early detection and measures to prevent further transmission.

“Mpox is on the rise,” Khan told Arab News. “It can become severe in children, while adults can also develop severe symptoms.”

Khan said early detection and reporting were important to prevent further community spread, while people with developing symptoms should seek medical attention and avoid close contact with others.

Most cases can be managed with supportive care, including hydration and treatment of pain and other symptoms, he said. Khan said isolation, hygiene, and infection control measures can help limit mpox transmission.

Sindh experienced a major mpox outbreak earlier this year, particularly in Khairpur district, where infections among newborns raised concerns over health care associated transmission.

The SHD said in a press release in April that 122 suspected Mpox cases had reported across the province as of Apr. 14.

“Out of these, 25 cases have been confirmed through laboratory testing while 9 deaths have been reported,” it added.