KARACHI: Another mpox case has been confirmed in Karachi, taking the total number of reported cases in Sindh this year to 43, health authorities said on Friday.
The latest patient is a 35-year-old resident of Shah Faisal Colony who was brought to the Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital after developing rashes on his body, hospital officials said.
Doctors suspected mpox after examining his symptoms and conducted a diagnostic test. A subsequent PCR test confirmed that the patient had contracted the viral infection.
The patient is currently receiving treatment at the Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital, according to the provincial health department.
Karachi records second case in two days
The latest infection is the second mpox case reported in Karachi within two days, taking the city’s total number of confirmed cases this year to 15.
Sindh had recorded 41 mpox cases as of September 4, when health authorities confirmed the infection in a 19-year-old man who had been brought to the Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital after developing rashes.
His PCR test also returned positive.
The latest figures indicate that two additional cases have been confirmed in Sindh since September 4.
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Mpox cases in Pakistan
Pakistan reported its first confirmed mpox case in April 2023, when the infection was detected in a traveller arriving from Saudi Arabia.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the spread of mpox a public health emergency of international concern in August 2024.
Health authorities confirmed the presence of the mpox clade 1b variant in Sindh and southern Punjab in April. The variant has been associated with greater transmissibility and may cause more severe illness than some other strains.
How does mpox spread?
Mpox is a viral disease that can spread through close physical contact with an infected person. It can also be transmitted through contaminated materials, including bedding, clothing and needles.
Common symptoms may include fever, chills, exhaustion, headache and muscle weakness. These symptoms can be followed by a painful or itchy rash and raised skin lesions.
Health authorities advise people who develop symptoms consistent with mpox, particularly an unexplained rash, to seek medical attention and follow appropriate infection-control measures to reduce the risk of transmission.
