The first case of mpox (monkeypox) this year has been reported in Karachi, health officials confirmed on Monday.

The patient was initially brought to the Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital, where the infection was later confirmed through a positive test, according to hospital head Dr Abdul Wahid Rajput.

Dr Rajput said the patient had first visited the hospital in early March but left on his own and sought treatment at a private facility.

He added that the patient had arrived in Karachi from abroad in January this year.

This is the first reported case of mpox in the country so far in 2026, officials said.