Infant tests positive for mpox in Peshawar

Health authorities in Peshawar, a city in northwestern Pakistan, have reported a second case of the Mpox virus this year.

The infection was identified in a five-month-old girl who arrived at Peshawar Airport from Qatar, representing the latest update in Pakistan's ongoing surveillance of the disease.

Attaullah Khan, the spokesperson for the health adviser to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, Ihtesham Ali, confirmed that the infant tested positive for Mpox upon her arrival with her parents.

As a precautionary measure, the health department has begun testing the child's parents for the virus.

The recent case follows the identification of Mpox in a 35-year-old man at Peshawar Airport the previous week. The man was swiftly isolated at Police Services Hospital for necessary treatment.

Read more: Seventh case of mpox diagnosed in Pakistan

Symptoms of Mpox include flu-like illness and pus-filled lesions. Children, pregnant women, and individuals with compromised immune systems are especially at risk for complications from the virus.

In August 2024, the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency due to the spread of this new strain of the virus, which originated in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has led to heightened global monitoring and preventive measures.