Pakistan has reported its first mpox case in 2025, identified during screening by border health personnel at Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar.
According to the Health Ministry spokesperson, the suspected case tested positive, bringing the total number of Mpox cases to 10 since the health emergency was declared, Express News reported.
The patient reportedly had a travel history linked to the Gulf countries.
Health coordinator Dr. Mukhtar Bharth stated: “We are ensuring effective measures to protect the public from Mpox. All airports have robust screening systems in place and compliance with international health regulations is ensured. Both federal and provincial governments are committed to fighting Mpox.”
Meanwhile, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Health Adviser Ehtesham Ali confirmed that the first Mpox case of 2025 was reported at Peshawar Airport.
Upon discovery, the public health team immediately reached the airport.
He further added, “The Public Health team transferred the patient to the Police Services Hospital from where the patient’s samples were sent to the Public Health Reference Lab. Mpox was confirmed in a 35-year-old person who arrived from Dubai.”
The Provincial Health Advisor also mentioned that a letter has been sent to the Peshawar Airport Manager requesting passenger details of those who are near the patient.
“Once passenger details are received, the respective District Health Officers (DHOs) will be informed about contact tracing,” he added.
The statement revealed that a total of 10 Mpox cases have been reported in the province so far, with two in 2023, seven in 2024 and the first case in 2025.
Authorities have urged the public to practice social distancing and remain vigilant.
Last year, the health ministry confirmed the country’s eighth case of the mpox virus this year, involving a 32-year-old patient who had recently returned from the Gulf.
The patient has been isolated and is receiving treatment, according to health ministry spokesman Sajid Shah. “He is experiencing mild symptoms and is expected to recover soon,”
Pakistan reported its first mpox case in August and has since implemented strict screening protocols at airports and border crossings to slow the spread of the virus.
While a mutated strain of mpox, clade I, prompted the World Health Organization to declare a global health emergency in August, Pakistan has yet to report any cases of this new variant.
Clade I first emerged in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has since spread internationally, prompting increased surveillance and preventive measures.
