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Mpox virus detected in Pakistan, days after WHO declared it a global health emergency

Aug 16, 2024 12:46 PM IST

This comes two days after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency amid increasing cases of the disease in Africa.

Pakistan has detected three cases of Mpox virus, previously known as monkeypox virus, the health department in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province said on Friday, reported news agency Reuters. However, it is not yet clear which variants the patients have been infected with.

Mpox is transmitted through close physical contact, and the most noticeable symptom of the disease is pus-filled lesions on the skin.(AP)
Mpox is transmitted through close physical contact, and the most noticeable symptom of the disease is pus-filled lesions on the skin.(AP)

This comes two days after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a global health emergency amid increasing cases of the disease in Africa.

Here is what we know so far:

  1. Mpox was first detected in Pakistan in patients who arrived from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
  2. According to the director general of health services of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, two patients have been confirmed to be infected with the virus, while the third patient's samples have been sent to the National Health Institute in Islamabad for confirmation, Reuters reported.
  3. All three patients have been currently quarantined.
  4. Meanwhile, Sweden has also reported a case of the new variant of the Mpox virus. The person was infected during a stay in a part of Africa where the new strain is spreading, reported Bloomberg.
  5. There have been 27,000 cases and more than 1,100 deaths, mainly among children, in Congo since the current outbreak began in January 2023.

What is Mpox and its symptoms?

Mpox is a viral illness caused by the Monkeypox virus, a species of the genus Orthopoxvirus. The virus was first identified by scientists in 1958 when there were outbreaks of a “pox-like” disease in monkeys. Until recently, most human cases were seen in people in central and West Africa who had close contact with infected animals, reported AP.

Mpox belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox but causes milder symptoms.

People infected with Mpox often get a rash that may be located on hands, feet, chest, face, or mouth or near the genital areas. The rash eventually forms pustules (big white or yellow pimples filled with pus) and scabs before healing.

Other symptoms include - fever, headache, and muscle aches. Lymph nodes can also swell up as they try to fight the virus. In rare cases, an infection may be deadly.

(With inputs from agencies)

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