Pakistan’s health department in the northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has confirmed three cases of the mpox virus, formerly known as monkeypox, officials announced on Friday. The viral infection was identified in patients returning from the United Arab Emirates, raising concerns as the World Health Organization (WHO) has recently declared a public health emergency of international concern due to a new variant of the virus, Reuters reported.
Salim Khan, the director general of health services for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, confirmed that two of the three patients tested positive for mpox. The third patient’s samples have been sent to the National Health Institute in Islamabad for confirmation. All three individuals are currently under quarantine.
On Thursday, health officials in Sweden confirmed the first case of a new mpox strain outside Africa, linking it to a growing outbreak on the continent. The WHO’s declaration of the outbreak in Africa as a public health emergency of international concern marks the highest level of alert, following the spread of cases from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighboring countries.
Since January 2023, Congo has recorded 27,000 cases and over 1,100 deaths, primarily among children. Mpox causes symptoms such as a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes, and fever, which can lead to severe illness, according to the WHO.
