Pakistan reports fourth monkeypox case of 2024

Pakistan on Monday reported fourth case of monkeypox diagnosed in an Islamabad citizen who recently returned home from Saudi Arabia.

A 47-year-old patient, originally a resident of Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK), has been diagnosed with mpox. According to travel history, the patient returned to Pakistan from Jeddah.

Spokesperson Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Dr Nasim Akhter said the symptoms of mpox were appearing on the body of a suspected patient, continuously.

The patient, whose identity was not disclosed, was shifted to the special ward designated for such cases.

The first three cases were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Following the cases, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) issued an advisory for guiding about the symptoms and precautions to address the disease.

Meanwhile, Global health officials also confirmed an infection with a new strain and said it outbreak in Africa.

Earlier, the WHO alerted about the alarming situation after cases reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo to nearby countries.

As many as 27,000 cases were reported in Congo, while the death toll reached 1,100 since the current outbreak began in January 2023.

The disease has flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. It is usually mild but could be harmful for children, pregnant women, and people with weak immune systems.