A case of mpox in Pakistan announced last week was not the new strain spreading through Africa, health officials said Monday.
The mpox diagnosis in a 34-year-old man recently returned from a Gulf country was declared by health officials on Friday, while testing over the exact strain was carried out.
“The virus has been classified as Clade 2b,” the health ministry said in a statement on Monday.
“Currently, the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is primarily associated with Clade 1b. Notably, as of now, there have been no reported cases of Clade 1b in Pakistan.”
Mpox infections surged worldwide in May 2022, mostly affecting gay and bisexual men due to the Clade 2b subclade, but cases have largely subsided.
The World Health Organization declared the recent outbreak of the disease a public health emergency of international concern after the new variant was identified.
The WHO last week sounded its highest level of alert over the outbreak in Africa after cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo spread to nearby countries. There have been 27,000 cases and more than 1,100 deaths, mainly among children, in DR Congo since the current outbreak began in January 2023.
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Global health officials last week confirmed an infection with the new strain of mpox in Sweden and linked it to a growing outbreak in Africa, the first sign of its spread outside the continent. The WHO did not urge any travel restrictions to curb the spread of mpox.
The disease presents with flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. It is usually mild but can kill, and children, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of complications.
