On Tuesday, the Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination announced that Pakistan has recorded its first case of monkeypox in an individual who had traveled from another country.
According to health ministry officials, the person arrived in Pakistan on April 17th after being deported from Saudi Arabia, and was exhibiting symptoms of monkeypox.
The National Institute of Health in Islamabad confirmed that the person was infected with the virus, and their relatives are currently being screened and asked to remain in quarantine to prevent the spread of the virus.
Contact tracing has also been initiated, and airports throughout the country have been put on high alert. Monkeypox is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus and is transmitted to humans through physical contact with infected animals, contaminated materials, or an infected person.
Symptoms include a skin rash, mucosal lesions, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.
Supportive care is the standard treatment for monkeypox, and in some cases, vaccines and therapeutics developed for smallpox can be used.
Monkeypox is a rare disease, and the current global outbreak that began in May 2022 has affected over 78,000 people. The World Health Organization (WHO) has been monitoring the situation and providing guidance to affected countries.
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