On Monday, the health minister confirmed that a sixth case of Monkeypox has been identified in the country.
The case was detected by Border Health Services staff at Islamabad Airport. The patient, a 44-year-old with a travel history to the Gulf countries, was found during routine screening. He has been admitted to the isolation ward at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and is reported to be in good health.
Monkeypox, a viral infection that can cause flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions, is generally mild but can be fatal in rare instances. Currently, two strains are spreading in Congo: the endemic clade I and a newer variant known as clade Ib.
Dr. Mukhtar Bharath, the PM Coordinator on Health, assured that Border Health Services at Islamabad Airport are maintaining a robust screening system. To date, the government has screened 630,000 passengers at airports.
Dr. Bharath emphasized that the ministry is actively monitoring the situation and implementing measures to protect the public from Monkeypox. Both federal and provincial governments are taking comprehensive steps to address the outbreak.
In August, the World Health Organization declared Monkeypox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years due to a new outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has spread to neighboring countries.
Monkeypox spreads through close contact and, while usually mild, can be severe in some cases. The infection causes flu-like symptoms and lesions. The recent outbreak in Congo, which began with the clade I strain, has been complicated by the emergence of clade Ib, a variant that spreads more easily through routine close contact, including sexual contact. This has led to the WHO’s intensified response as the virus spreads to neighboring countries like Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.
“From Rarity to Reality: The Rising Threat of Monkeypox in Global Health.
Congo Virus Cases Climb to Four in Karachi This August
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