PESHAWAR: Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Ihtesham Ali has confirmed detection of the second mpox case of 2025 at the Bacha Khan International Airport, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 11 since 2022.
Providing details about the latest case, the health adviser stated on Thursday that the Public Health Reference Lab has confirmed the presence of the mpox virus in a five-month-old infant.
The child had recently arrived in Pakistan at Peshawar Airport with her parents from Qatar.
Following the confirmation of the case, the Health Department has initiated screening for the child’s parents to ensure their health and safety.
Furthermore, a letter has been sent to the airport authorities, requesting passenger details for those who travelled near the patient to ensure comprehensive surveillance.
The adviser emphasised that swift measures are being taken to prevent the spread of the virus and safeguard public health.
The first case of the skin infection in 2025 was reported on January 25 when a passenger arriving from Gulf was detected at Peshawar airport.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the recent spread of the virus a global emergency in August last year.
In 2023, Pakistan had confirmed nine cases of mpox, all among travellers returning from the Middle East and other countries.
Mpox is a viral disease related to the now-eradicated smallpox virus and can spread through close contact and through contaminated materials like sheets, clothing and needles, according to WHO.
How dangerous is it and who’s at risk?
The United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed that while some outbreaks of clade I mpox have killed up to 10% of people who get sick, more recent outbreaks have had lower death rates.
The fatality rate for clade II is less than 0.2%.
Those at risk of having more severe infections include infants, people with severely weakened immune systems and pregnant women.
What are the symptoms of mpox?
Initial symptoms are typically flu-like and include fever, chills, exhaustion, headache and muscle weakness.
They are often followed by a painful or itchy rash with raised lesions that scab over and resolve over a period of weeks.
