Pakistan has reported cases of monkeypox, or mpox, in the past; the specific virus variant in the current cases is still unknown. A spokesperson from Pakistan’s national health ministry reported one suspected case of mpox. On Thursday, global health officials confirmed a new strain of the mpox virus in Sweden, connecting it to an increasing outbreak in Africa. These developments are reported by the health department in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, as reported by Reuters on Friday. The infection was found in patients arriving from the United Arab Emirates. The World Health Organization has classified the recent outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern.
The World Health Organization declared the ongoing outbreak of mpox in Africa a public health emergency of international concern on Wednesday. This highest alert level follows the spread of cases from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighboring countries.
Since January 2023, there have been 27,000 cases and over 1,100 deaths, predominantly among children, in Congo. Mpox, caused by the monkeypox virus, can lead to a painful rash, swollen lymph nodes, and fever, and can result in severe illness for some individuals, according to the WHO.
