Two cases of Monkeypox (MPOX) have been reported in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, bringing the total number of cases in the province to five this year.

According to the health department, the newly affected persons include a 42-year-old man and a 20-year-old youth, both residents of Peshawar. While the 20-year-old is locally transferred, the 42-year-old had returned from Saudi Arabia last year.

Advisor to Chief Minister on Health, Ehtesham Ali, said both patients have been isolated in their homes. They had originally visited Khyber Teaching Hospital for treatment where tests were performed due to suspected symptoms. The results later confirmed MPOX in both cases.

No symptoms have been detected in any family members of the two affected patients. Sources informed Express Pakinomist that a previous case of a woman affected by MPOX was initially classified as locally transferred. However, further investigation revealed that her husband had recently returned from abroad and had transferred the disease to her.

The health department confirmed that the woman remains isolated, but her case is not considered a local transmission. Her six children and parents were screened and samples from two cousins ​​were gathered, but no MPOX cases were discovered among them.

Earlier this year, cases from Kohat, Khyber and North Waziristan were also reported.

Background

In February, Ehtesham Ali confirmed another MPOX case in the province. According to him, this was the first confirmed case of local transmission in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, when earlier cases were identified in people returning from abroad.

The man of the woman had recently returned from a golf. Although he initially did not show any symptoms, he later tested positively for MPOX.

Dr. Fazal Majeed, director of public health, said the patient was admitted to the hospital on February 18 with fever and body pain. In February 19, rashes and wounds appeared on her body and inside her mouth, which got the public health coordinator Dr. Muhammad Amir Khan to report the matter.

On February 20, an investigative team collected her tests and sent them to Public Health Reference Laboratory at Khyber Medical University, Peshawar. The diagnosis was confirmed on February 21st.

With regard to the woman’s husband, Dr. Majeed that he showed no symptoms of returning to Pakistan. On February 5, however, he developed a fever and body pain, followed by rashes on February 6th. Despite his symptoms, he remained at home for 10 to 15 days without seeking medical attention.

On February 22, a medical team reviewed the patient’s history, screened her family members and close contacts and instructed all vulnerable persons, including her husband, to review the home insulation.

Dr. Majeed has called on the public to remain vigilant for MPOX symptoms and seek immediate medical attention if any signs appear.