Pakistan confirmed its third case of the mpox virus at Peshawar airport on Saturday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Health Director Dr Irshad Ali Roghani said.

In addition, he added that a suspected case has been reported and the individual has been transferred to a hospital for further evaluation.

The Sindh Health Department also reported a suspected case at Karachi airport, heightening concerns about the spread of the virus.

Earlier this month, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified the recent outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern, following the identification of the new Clade 1b variant. The variant has raised alarms due to its potential for rapid transmission through close contact.

Despite such developments, the WHO has reassured the public that the mpox outbreak differs significantly from Covid-19, noting that there is already substantial knowledge regarding the virus and effective control measures.

The first confirmed case in Pakistan was identified as belonging to the Clade 2 variety. The second case was reported last week, also at Peshawar airport. Medical staff at Bacha Khan International Airport detected two travelers exhibiting symptoms of the virus on Thursday.

Both individuals confirmed as mpox cases were passengers on the same flight from Jeddah to Peshawar.

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According to Roghani, the confirmed case involves a 51-year-old man from Orakzai, who is currently stable and receiving treatment at Peshawar’s PSH hospital. This marks the third confirmed mpox case in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for 2024, with no local transmissions reported to date.

Roghani stated that the Rapid Response Team collected samples from the patient, which were subsequently tested at the Public Health Reference Laboratory, confirming the presence of the mpox virus.

Samples from a second patient, a 47-year-old man from Peshawar, have also been sent for testing, and results are pending.

With input from News Desk