2 Mpox cases diagnosed in KP

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health department said the total number of Mpox cases increased to three across the country. The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) released an instruction one day earlier on how to treat the illness. The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday declared a health emergency worldwide due to the epidemic in Africa, which is at its highest peak.

KP DG of Health Services, Salim Khan, mentioned that Mpox has been confirmed in two new patients residing in KP. He also stated that all three patients are under quarantine and observation. Two patients have been confirmed to have the Mpox virus, whereas the samples from the third patient have been forwarded to the National Institutes of Health in Islamabad for confirmation.

According to the provincial health authority, the patients ‘viral infection was discovered following their arrival from the United Arab Emirates. Sajid Shah, a spokesperson for the health ministry, explained that while the sequencing of the material from the verified patient was ongoing, so far, they had no confirmation of a new variant.

Global health experts announced on Thursday that a new variant of the Mpox virus has been discovered in Sweden. Since its start in January 2023, 27,000 cases of the viral outbreak, the majority of which were children, have been reported. 548 people have lost their lives to the deadly virus this year alone.