The National Institute of Health has confirmed another case of monkeypox has tested positive in a patient currently under treatment in Rawalpindi.

The NIH in a post on X stated that the patient is receiving appropriate care and a team from the NIH under the NHSR&C [National Health Services Regulation and Coordination] is conducting epidemiological investigations and contact tracing.

“The Ministry of National Health Services Regulation and Coordination (NHSR&C) confirms that one case of monkeypox has been tested positive and the patient is currently hospitalized for management in Rawalpindi,” it stated on X.

The patient’s contacts and family members are also being monitored. At this time, there is no risk of further spread of the disease in Pakistan, it added.

This is the sixth case of monkeypox in the country, the first being reported in Islamabad on April 25. Since then, cases have been detected in Lahore and Karachi as well.

What is monkeypox

The monkeypox virus was discovered in Denmark (1958) in monkeys kept for research and the first reported human case of mpox was a nine-month-old boy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, 1970), according to the World Health Organisation.

A global outbreak of the virus took place in 2022-2023. The disease is characterised by rashes, enlarged lymph nodes and fever although most people make a full recovery. The rashes can turn into blisters or lesions.

Symptoms include:

• rash

• fever

• sore throat

• headache

• muscle aches

• back pain

• low energy

• swollen lymph nodes

The disease is contagious and can be passed to others and a person is only declared healed when the rashes or blisters have completely healed and a new layer of skin has formed.