Mpox outbreak: Peshawar emerges as the new ‘epicentre’

PESHAWAR: Peshawar has emerged as the new ‘epicenter’ of the mpox in Pakistan as the number of cases has risen to five.

Meanwhile, another suspected case surfaced in Karachi, according to health officials,

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The fifth case was recorded in the provincial capital on Sunday when a 47-year-old man was diagnosed with the virus.

According to sources, the man tested positive for the virus while at the Bacha Khan International Airport. This has raised alarm about travelers bringing the virus into the country.

The latest case of mpox virus in Pakistan was confirmed by the National Health Service (NHS) Ministry spokesperson. The fifth case aligns with a pattern observed in previous instances – all confirmed cases have been linked to intentional travel. The man in question had just returned from a Gulf country.

Authorities stated the patient was immediately isolated.

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In response to growing concerns regarding the outbreak, strict screening protocols were implemented in all airports across the country.

Authorities stated they were ‘closely’ monitoring the situation and ensuring that preventive measures were in place.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared mpox – formerly known as monkeypox – a “public health emergency of international concern” (PHEIC) after the virus spread from Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to surrounding countries.

The virus was declared a PHEIC under the International Health Regulations (2005) on August 15. This is the second time mpox was declared a global health emergency in two years.

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The first case outside Africa was reported in Sweden, followed shortly by the very first case in Pakistan.

The global community has been on high alert since, especially as the virus as no vaccine of its own. The fear is high as the Clade 1b variant’s spread has been rapid and without much understanding of the new strain.

Besides Pakistan, Thailand reported its first case in August, followed by Singapore and the Philippines. Singapore reported an alarming 13 cases, while the Phillipines shared that three cases have been confirmed so far.

Meanwhile, countries such as Japan, China and South Korea increased monitoring of the virus. China stepped up its sanitation measures for airports, aircrafts and even cargo from affected regions.

Similarly, authorities in Japan and South Korea said they were closely monitoring the situation.

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Due to having no vaccine of its own, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fun (UNICEF) stepped up initiative for urgent attainment of up to 12 million doses of mpox vaccine by 2025.

The WHO noted that while mpox presents huge issues, it is not at the same level of global threat as the Covid-19 pandemic was.