Health authorities in Pakistan’s northwestern city of Peshawar have confirmed another case of the MPOX virus this year.
The infection was detected in a five -month -old girl who arrived at Peshawar Airport from Qatar, marking the latest developments in Pakistan’s ongoing monitoring of the disease.
Attaullah Khan, spokesman for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister’s Health Advisor Ihtesham Ali, confirmed that the infant tested positively for MPOX after landing with his parents.
The health department has initiated testing for the virus on the child’s parents as a precautionary measure.
This new case follows the detection of MPOX in a 35-year-old man at Peshawar Airport last week. The man was immediately isolated at Police Services Hospital for treatment.
Since the first reported case in August 2024, Pakistan has implemented screening protocols at airports and border input points.
The country reported that at least eight cases of MPOX in 2024.
MPOX symptoms include flu-like disease and pus-filled lesions. Children, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are especially vulnerable to complications from the virus.
The World Health Organization declared a global emergency in August 2024 due to the spread of the new tribe of the virus that emerged in the Democratic Republic Congo and has led to increased global surveillance and preventative efforts.
