Pakistan’s monkeypox tally for the ongoing year has reached four after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) reported its third case.
A 51-year-old traveller from Orakzai district showed symptoms of the virus upon arrival at Bacha Khan Airport, after returning from abroad.
The patient is in stable condition and is currently receiving treatment in the Isolation Ward of Police Line Hospital. This marks the third confirmed case in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within two weeks.
Read more: Everything you need to know about Monkeypox: Symptoms and Treatment
All the confirmed cases in KP involve travellers recently returning to Pakistan from abroad.
Genetic sequencing of the first two cases confirmed that the patients were infected with the Clade 2B strain of the virus.
Earlier, WHO declared the monkeypox virus a public health emergency of international concern.
Clade 1b of the virus has triggered global concern due to its potential for easier transmission through routine close contact. Last week, a case of this variant was confirmed in Sweden, linked to a growing outbreak in Africa—the first sign of its spread beyond the continent.
