ISLAMABAD: Health officials said that Pakistan has detected the first case of monkeypox in a person who travelled to the country from abroad, local media reported on Tuesday. The Ministry of National Health has confirmed the affected person was deported from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and arrived in Pakistan on April 17 with symptoms of the disease.
Health officials say Pakistan reports first case of Monkeypox
According to local television, the samples of the person were sent to the NIH, Islamabad, and a day earlier, the health officials confirmed that he was a carrier of the virus.
The officials said that the person is a resident of either Islamabad or Rawalpindi and his family members are now being screened and advised to remain in quarantine to prevent the virus.
Officials said that all airports countrywide have been put on alert following the detection of the new virus, while the Ministry of Health has sent NIH the samples of suspected patients.
Monkeypox is a viral disease caused by a virus. The World Health Organization said that the common symptoms of monkeypox are a skin rash which can last two–four weeks and are accompanied by muscle aches, fever, headache, back pain, and low energy.
Monkeypox can be transmitted to humans via physical contact with someone who is infectious, with contaminated materials. Since May 2022, a global epidemic of human monkeypox infections has been reported in over 78,000 people worldwide.
