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The authorities noted that the infected man was detected with mpox following his return from Saudi Arabia on August 3 read more
 "Pakistan confirms first mpox case of 2024, infected person came from Saudi Arabia")
This 1997 image depicts the dorsal surfaces of the hands of a monkeypox case patient. CDC via AP
After the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Monkey Pox an international “public health emergency”, Pakistan on Thursday reported this year’s first case of the virus. According to Pakistani news outlet, Geo News, a Pakistani national in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was diagnosed with the fatal virus. The person recently came from Saudi Arabia.
The officials at the Pakistani Federal Health Ministry said that the man belonged to the city of Dir and is currently residing in Mardan. The authorities noted that the infected man was detected with mpox following his return from Saudi Arabia on August 3.
Samples of people who came in contact with man collected
According to Geo News, the health ministry official stated that they have collected samples from people who came in contact with the affected man. Subsequently, the ministry has ordered the Border Health Services to commence strict monitoring of all entry points.
After the news broke out, the Pakistani health ministry conducted an important session under the chair of DG Health in which advisory and guidelines were issued regarding mpox.
The provinces have been directed to appoint focal persons to monitor and report developments regarding the detection of the disease.
Not the first time
This is not the first time Pakistan had to deal with the horrors of monkeypox. Last year, the country confirmed nine cases of mpox, all among travellers who were returning from the Middle East and other countries. One person was affected by both HIV and mpox and eventually died in Islamabad.
Around 15 African nations are currently reeling through the deadly cases. Four countries — Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda — previously unaffected by mpox, have reported cases since mid-July 2024.
WHO raised an alert over the matter after it reported a cumulative total of 99,176 laboratory-confirmed cases of Mpox from January 1 2022, through June 30, 2024. In June 2024 alone, 934 new cases were reported, with most cases coming from the African Region (61 per cent), followed by the region of the Americas (19 per cent) and the European region (11 per cent).
Sweden on Thursday confirmed Europe’s first case of the more dangerous variant of mpox. Sweden’s public health agency noted that the person became infected with the virus during his stay in the area of Africa which was currently struggling with a major outbreak of mpox Clade 1.
“A person who sought care in Stockholm has been diagnosed with mpox caused by the clade I variant. It is the first case caused by clade I to be diagnosed outside the African continent,” Sweden’s Public Health Agency said in a statement on Thursday
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