The Pakistani Ministry of Health confirmed today, Friday, at least one case of the monkeypox virus in a person returning from a Gulf country, although they are yet to determine the strain of the virus. The Health Department in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan announced today that one case of monkeypox has been confirmed in the province, retracting an earlier statement that mentioned three cases of the virus among travelers arriving from the UAE this week.
A health official in the Mardan area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa separately stated that the location of the confirmed monkeypox case, a man who recently returned from Saudi Arabia, is unknown. The Ministry of Health confirmed that they are following up with individuals who had contact with the identified patient, stating that he is from Mardan. The ministry also mentioned in a statement that it will enhance monitoring and surveillance measures at airports by increasing the number of health personnel.
Recently, the World Health Organization declared that the disease represents a global health emergency following the emergence of a new strain of the virus.
