ISLAMABAD: Another case of chickenpox has been reported in Pakistan, taking the total number of cases this year in the country to eight.
Health Ministry officials said a 32-year-old man, who recently arrived in Islamabad from a Gulf country, was diagnosed with mpox virus.
Officials confirmed that the individual was tested upon arrival at Islamabad airport after being identified as a suspected case.
According to Health Ministry officials, the patient is currently being treated at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).
Head of the Infectious Diseases Department of PIMS Hospital confirmed that the patient is from Upper Dir in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and is in stable condition with no immediate threat to his health.
It is worth noting that eight cases of monkeypox have been reported in Pakistan this year.
At least five cases of mpox have been reported in Peshawar alone. Another case was reported earlier in August in Karachi.
In response to growing concerns about the outbreak, strict screening procedures have been introduced at all airports across the country.
Authorities said they were monitoring the situation “closely” and ensuring precautionary measures were in place.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared mpox – formerly known as monkeypox – a “public health emergency of international concern” (PHEIC) after the virus spread from the Democratic Republic of 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 has been declared a global health emergency in two years.
The first case outside Africa was reported in Sweden, followed shortly by the first case in Pakistan.
The global community has been on high alert since then, especially as the virus does not yet have its own vaccine. Fear is high because the spread of the Clade 1b variant is rapid and not much is understood about 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 Philippines shared that there have been three confirmed cases so far.
Meanwhile, countries such as Japan, China, and South Korea have increased virus surveillance. China stepped up measures to clean airports, planes and even goods from affected areas.
Similarly, Japanese and South Korean authorities said they were closely monitoring the situation.
The World Health Organization announced that the MVA-BN vaccine is the first vaccine against Mpox to be added to the prequalification list.
The prequalification approval is expected to facilitate timely access and increase access to this important product in communities with urgent need, to reduce transmission and help contain the epidemic.