A 47-year-old patient, recently returned from abroad, has been confirmed to have contracted the Mpox virus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to four.
The patient was identified during a routine screening by a medical team at Peshawar Airport. Upon observing symptoms, the team immediately transferred the patient to the Police Services Hospital.
Dr. Irshad Ali, Director of Public Health for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, stated that a Rapid Response Team collected samples from the patient’s lesions at the hospital, which were promptly sent to the laboratory for analysis. The Public Health Reference Laboratory confirmed the presence of the Mpox virus in the patient.
The patient, a resident of Peshawar district, is currently in stable condition and is receiving treatment at the Police Services Hospital. Fortunately, despite this being the fourth confirmed case of Mpox in the region for the year 2024, no local transmission has been reported so far. Dr. Irshad Roghani emphasized the importance of remaining vigilant and assured that the healthcare system is prepared to handle such cases.
The public is urged to maintain caution and follow health guidelines, especially for those traveling from regions where the virus is prevalent.