Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health authorities have placed hospitals and other relevant facilities on high alert after reporting a confirmed case of monkeypox, previously known as “monkey pox,” according to a senior official.

The Director of Public Health at the provincial Directorate-General of Health Services, Dr Irshad Ali Roghani, stated that the zoonotic infection was detected in a 34-year-old male resident of Lower Dir district on Wednesday. The patient, who had a travel history to the Middle East, has been isolated.

The patient visited Khyber Teaching Hospital in Peshawar for skin-related issues, where he was advised to undergo a monkeypox test. The test conducted at the Public Health Reference Laboratory (PHRL) of Khyber Medical University came back positive.

Dr Irshad said that the specimen has also been sent for genetic sequencing to the National Institute of Health in Islamabad. The health department has strengthened its surveillance network and is actively working to screen people who have been in close contact with the infected individual.

The provincial authorities have taken these precautionary measures to prevent the potential spread of the monkeypox virus and ensure the timely detection and management of any additional cases.

In response to the confirmed monkeypox case, the provincial health authorities have taken several proactive measures. An advisory has been sent to hospital medical superintendents and district health officers, providing guidance on the proper collection, storage, and transportation of samples to the Public Health Reference Laboratory (PHRL).

Hospitals have also been directed to ensure they follow standard operating procedures to accurately diagnose monkeypox cases. Additionally, the hospitals have been informed about the symptoms of the disease, enabling them to identify and test suspected patients appropriately.

The PHRL has further issued detailed guidelines to hospitals about the nature of the monkeypox virus. It has been explained that the disease is transmitted from animals to humans, with an incubation period of 3-17 days. The initial symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, swollen lymph nodes, chills, and exhaustion, followed by the development of a characteristic rash that progresses through various stages.

Transmission of the virus occurs through direct contact with the bodily fluids or lesions of infected patients, as well as indirect contact with contaminated materials. While there is no specific treatment for monkeypox, the focus is on supportive care to alleviate symptoms. Antiviral drugs have been approved for treatment in some countries, but are not routinely prescribed.

The health authorities have emphasized that the infection can be more severe in patients with underlying health conditions or immunodeficiencies. To prevent the spread of the virus, the World Health Organization recommends avoiding close contact with suspected or confirmed cases, practicing good hand hygiene, and using personal protective equipment when caring for patients.

The advisory highlights vaccination as a critical preventive measure, particularly for high-risk groups. While the smallpox vaccine has been approved for monkeypox prevention in some regions, the global availability of vaccines remains limited.

The advisory emphasizes the importance of healthcare workers strictly following infection prevention protocols, including the use of appropriate personal protective equipment and the isolation of patients. Rapid identification and isolation of cases, as well as contact tracing and public education, are deemed essential components of outbreak control.

Regarding laboratory testing, the advisory stresses that physicians should provide maximum clinical information, such as possible contact history, date of onset of symptoms, and details about sample collection. The clinical summary must accompany the sample, which should be packaged in a separate plastic zipper bag and placed in the second layer of the triple package.

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Meanwhile, in Punjab, the government has instructed all public and private hospitals in the province to prepare for and provide medical assistance against monkeypox, hospitals in Lahore have failed to set up counters for this purpose. Patients are complaining that doctors are only advising them to take precautions, wear masks and gloves.

The Punjab government has alerted all public hospitals in the province and instructed them to make arrangements, but while precautionary measures against this are visible in Lahore’s public hospitals, there is little evidence of preparations for monkeypox.

An emergency doctor at Services Hospital, Dr. Bashir Mohiuddin has said that the new monkeypox virus is dangerous and the public should take precautions. However, according to the Punjab Health Department, no suspected or confirmed monkeypox cases have been reported in the province so far.

Pakistan has reported its first mpox (monkeypox) cases of 2024, with three patients testing positive. The three patients had recently returned from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This news comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, after an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has since spread to other nations.