Pakistan has detected three more suspected cases of monkeypox in individuals who recently traveled from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the country.
The passengers arrived in Karachi on two different flights on April 26 and were displaying symptoms of the infectious disease.
As a precautionary measure, all three patients have been shifted to an isolation center, according to Director Border and Health Services, Dr. Ghulam Murtaza Shah.
The health authorities are conducting tests to confirm whether these individuals have contracted the monkeypox virus.
The recent suspected cases of monkeypox come after two cases of the viral disease were detected in individuals who had returned from Saudi Arabia. Both individuals were residents of Rawalpindi and Islamabad and were immediately quarantined upon their arrival in Pakistan.
Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease, meaning that it can be transmitted to humans from animals. Symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, and exhaustion.
A rash then develops, often beginning on the face and then spreading to other parts of the body. The disease is typically self-limiting, meaning that it resolves on its own within a few weeks, but severe cases can result in complications such as pneumonia, sepsis, and encephalitis.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that the risk of monkeypox spreading from person to person is low, but it can occur through close contact with infected individuals or through contact with contaminated objects.