First confirmed case of monkeypox reported in Lahore

By Umer Sadique

LAHORE: The first confirmed case of monkeypox has been reported in Lahore, with the patient admitted to the isolation ward of General Hospital.

According to the Jinnah Hospital Medical Superintendent Prof Faryad Hussain, the health department’s reference laboratory confirmed the infection after testing the patient’s samples.

The individual had been brought to the hospital with high fever and rashes on the body, he said.

Hospital officials said the patient had previously undergone a liver transplant and had also lost an arm in an accident.

Prof Hussain stated that the patient is being provided with complete medical care.

So far, 17 suspected cases of monkeypox have been reported at the hospital, but only one has been confirmed, he said.

The first case of monkeypox in Pakistan was confirmed in Islamabad in August. The patient, a resident of Attock, had tested positive after arriving from a Gulf country.

What is monkeypox?

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a rare viral zoonotic disease. Its symptoms resemble smallpox, beginning with fever and chills followed by a rash that may take weeks to heal.

The infection spreads from animals to humans and can also pass between people, often linked to travel or contact with infected animals. Although no specific treatment exists, most cases resolve without medical intervention.

Health experts warn that the virus can spread through close contact, urging people to practise distancing. It can enter the body through broken skin, the respiratory tract, or the eyes, nose, and mouth.

Another monkeypox case reported in Pakistan

Rashes usually appear one to three days after the onset of fever, often starting on the face before spreading to other parts of the body. Other common symptoms include headache, muscle pain, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes.

The incubation period ranges from 7 to 14 days but may vary between 5 and 21 days. The illness typically lasts two to four weeks.