Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has reported its first suspected case of the Mpox virus, also known as monkeypox, according to a health ministry official cited in the national daily Dawn. This development comes just one day after Sweden confirmed the world’s first case of monkeypox for 2024.
As of now, there have been 14,000 reported cases of the virus, prompting fears about its potential spread beyond Africa.
Key updates on the Mpox virus include:
1) The Central African nation of Congo remains the epicenter of the outbreak, accounting for 96% of all cases.
2) The World Health Organization (WHO) classified the virus as a global health emergency following the identification of international cases.
3) The suspected Pakistani patient, a man who returned from Saudi Arabia on August 3, has been put under quarantine, and his sample has been sent for confirmation testing while authorities brace for further developments.
4) Experts are concerned that without proactive measures, Mpox could escalate into a pandemic similar to COVID-19.
The Mpox virus has already claimed 524 lives this year, indicating a mortality rate of approximately 3.87% among those infected. The virus, which is part of the smallpox family, can be transmitted through direct contact with contaminated objects and animals. Symptoms include fever, chills, body aches, and in severe cases, skin lesions such as sores and ulcers.
Historically, the 2022 outbreak primarily affected gay and bisexual men, who contracted the virus through intimate contact. In contrast, recent data shows that over 70% of Mpox cases and 85% of deaths reported in Congo involve children under the age of 15.
The recent strain of the Mpox virus poses challenges for identification, as it tends to target genital areas rather than the hands or chest, complicating detection and increasing the risk of transmission.