Pakistan reports at least one case of Mpox virus | Health news

Sequencing of the confirmed case is underway to determine whether the virus is the same deadly Clade 1 variant discovered in Sweden.

A day after Sweden confirmed an infection with a more transmissible and deadly variant linked to a recent outbreak in Africa, at least one case of the Mpox virus was confirmed in Pakistan.

Pakistan's Health Ministry said in a statement on Friday that the Mpox strain that caused the confirmed case was not immediately known.

Irshad Roghani, director of public health in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the 34-year-old patient is being treated, said samples had been sent to Islamabad for genetic sequencing to determine which variant of the virus the patient was infected with.

On Thursday, Sweden announced that it had discovered a more dangerous variant of the virus called Clade 1 in an infected patient.

Clade 1, which spreads more easily through close contact, is linked to a deadly wave of the virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that began in September. The Swedish case is the first such infection outside the African continent, according to the Swedish Public Health Agency.

In a statement from the agency, epidemiologist Magnus Gisslen was quoted as saying that the patient became infected during a visit to “the part of Africa where there is a major outbreak of Mpox Clade 1.”

An earlier outbreak in 2022 was linked to a milder variant known as Clade 2, endemic in West Africa, causing about 140 deaths and 90,000 cases, mostly affecting gay and bisexual men.

Health emergency

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday declared an international health emergency due to the spread of Clade 1 in Africa, following a rapid spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

It said that there have been more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths from Mpox in Africa this year, which is already more than last year. More than 96 percent of all cases and deaths have occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

After the discovery of the case in Sweden, the WHO said it reflected “the interconnectedness of our world” and that further imported cases of the new variant in Europe were likely.

The organization advises against any travel restrictions and border closures to stop the spread of Mpox, as they “do not work and should be avoided.”

Al Jazeera's Jonah Hull, reporting from London, said the WHO statement was “particularly intended to encourage governments to release targeted funds for research, to release funds to strengthen health systems and to re-accelerate the rollout of such measures.”

“Epidemiologists in Europe say there may be only a single case in Sweden, but that almost certainly means there are a number of unidentified cases out there, and that of course points to the possibility of rapid international transmission.”

Pakistan's Health Ministry has instructed officials at border crossings and airports to ensure strict surveillance and collect samples for medical tests if any passenger returning from abroad is found to be showing symptoms of the disease.

The disease caused by the virus results in flu-like symptoms, purulent lesions and muscle pain. It is usually mild but can be fatal. Children, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems, such as those infected with HIV, are all at higher risk of complications.

China announced on Friday that it will begin screening people and goods entering the country for MPOX over the next six months.

Danish pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic said it is ready to produce up to 10 million doses of its Mpox vaccine by 2025 and is seeking European approval for the use of its Mpox vaccine in children aged 12 and over.