Pakistan has reported two additional cases of mpox, also known as monkeypox, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, bringing the country’s total to three. The patients, who are currently under quarantine, contracted the virus after arriving from the United Arab Emirates.
According to Salim Khan, the KP director general of health services, two of the patients have been confirmed to have mpox, while the third patient’s samples have been sent to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Islamabad for confirmation.
The health ministry has not yet confirmed which variant of the virus the patients have, but sequencing is underway. “Once that’s done, we will be able to say what strain is this,” said health ministry spokesman Sajid Shah.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak in Africa a public health emergency of international concern, with over 27,000 cases and 1,100 deaths reported since January 2023. The disease, caused by the monkeypox virus, can cause a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes, and fever, and can make some people very ill.
In response to the outbreak, Danish drugmaker Bavarian Nordic is seeking European approval to use its mpox vaccine in children aged 12 to 17. The company has presented clinical data to the European Medicines Agency showing that the vaccine is safe and effective in adolescents.
The detection of mpox cases in Pakistan highlights the need for increased vigilance and measures to prevent the spread of the disease. The government has issued an advisory on measures to deal with the disease, and health officials are working to trace contacts and prevent further transmission.
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