Karachi reports three suspected mpox cases in a single day

A third suspected case of monkeypox was reported at Karachi Airport today, marking the third such case within a single day.

The first suspected case involved a passenger arriving from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saudi Airlines flight SV 708. The second suspected case involved a passenger arriving from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on PIA flight PK 732.

The third suspected case involved an 18-year-old female passenger who arrived from Dubai on Fly Dubai, having traveled from Saudi Arabia.

All three passengers have been transferred to the Sindh government’s Infectious Diseases Hospital. They will be kept in the isolation ward until test results are available.

This news comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) has approved the first monkeypox vaccine, MVA-BN.

The vaccine is approved for individuals aged 18 years and older, administered in two doses, four weeks apart. The vaccine is reported to be 76% effective after one dose and 82% effective after two doses.

The WHO has declared monkeypox a public health emergency.