Pakistan Confirms First Monkeypox Case in Returning Traveler

Pakistan has verified at least one case of the Monkeypox virus, a day after Sweden confirmed an infection with a more readily transmitted and lethal form connected to a recent outbreak in Africa.

According to a statement released by Pakistan’s Ministry of Health on Friday, the Monkeypox strain responsible for the verified case is unknown.

Irshad Roghani, director of public health in the northern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the 34-year-old patient is receiving treatment, stated that samples had been sent to Islamabad for genetic sequencing to determine which variant of the virus the patient contracted.

Europe on High Alert as Monkeypox Spreads

Meanwhile, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) increased the risk level for Monkeypox from “low” to “moderate” on Friday, warning of an increase in imported cases.

Sweden recently found a more severe version of the virus, known as Clade 1, in an infected patient.

“Due to the close links between Europe and Africa, we must be prepared for more imported clade I cases,” ECDC head Pamela Rendi Wagner said.

Separately, France has put its public health system on “maximum alert” due to concerns about the virus.

Clade 1, which spreads more quickly through intimate contact, has been connected to a devastating outbreak of the virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that started in September. According to Sweden’s Public Health Agency, this is the first incidence of this type of virus outside of Africa.

According to a statement from the agency, epidemiologist Magnus Gisslen stated that the patient became infected while visiting “the part of Africa where there is a major outbreak of mpox Clade 1”.

An earlier outbreak in 2022 was related to a weaker version called Clade 2, which is prevalent in West Africa. It resulted in around 140 deaths and 90,000 cases, primarily affecting gay and bisexual men.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a public health emergency of worldwide concern on Wednesday due to the spread of Clade 1 in Africa, following a surge in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that extended to Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.

It reported that Monkeypox has caused more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths in Africa this year, exceeding last year’s estimates. More than 96 percent of all cases and deaths have occurred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Following the finding of the case in Sweden, the WHO said it highlighted “the interconnectedness of our world” and that future imported cases of the new strain in Europe were probable.

The group has urged against any travel restrictions and border closures to combat the spread of Monkeypox, stating that they “do not work and should be avoided.”

Al Jazeera’s Jonah Hull reported from London that the WHO’s proclamation was “specifically to encourage governments to release funding aimed at research, to release funding to boost health systems, and to accelerate the rollout of those sorts of measures again”.

“Epidemiologists in Europe say there may only be one case detected in Sweden, but that almost definitely implies there are a number of unidentified cases out there, raising the prospect of rapid international transmission.

Pakistan’s Health Ministry has asked border crossing and airport authorities to conduct close monitoring and collect samples for medical testing if they see symptoms of the disease in any passenger returning from overseas.

The virus causes flu-like symptoms, pus-filled sores, and muscle pain. It is normally moderate, but it can kill children, pregnant women, and persons with compromised immune systems, such as HIV patients, who are at a higher risk of complications.

China announced on Friday that it will start screening people and items entering the nation for Monkeypox within the next six months.

Danish manufacturer Bavarian Nordic said it was prepared to produce up to 10 million doses of its Monkeypox vaccine by 2025 and was seeking European approval to use it in children aged 12 and up.