The health minister confirmed on Monday that a sixth case of Monkeypox has been reported in the country.

According to a spokesperson of the health ministry, Border Health Services staff detected the patient, a 44-year-old individual, at Islamabad Airport during screening. He had a travel history to the Gulf countries

The patient was admitted to the isolation ward of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and was healthy, the spokesperson said.

Mpox, a viral infection that causes pus-filled lesions and flu-like symptoms, is usually mild but can kill. Two strains are now spreading in Congo - the endemic form of the virus, clade I, and a new offshoot called clade Ib.

PM Coordinator on Health Dr Mukhtar Bharath said Border Health Services staff at Islamabad Airport were ensuring an effective screening system. The government has screened 630,000 passengers at airports so far.

He said that the ministry was ensuring the monitoring mechanism of the situation. “Effective measures are being taken to protect the people from the mpox,” he added.

Bharath said that the federal and provincial governments were taking all measures to deal with Mpox.

In August, the World Health Organization declared the mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, following an outbreak of the viral infection in Democratic Republic of Congo that has spread to neighbouring countries.

Mpox can spread through close contact. Usually mild, it is fatal in rare cases. It causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body.

The outbreak in Congo began with the spread of an endemic strain, known as clade I. But a new variant, clade Ib, appears to spread more easily through routine close contact, including sexual contact.

It has spread from Congo to neighbouring countries, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, triggering the action from the WHO.