KARACHI: Another case of Mpox has been reported in Karachi, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the city to nine. According to sources at the Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital and Research Centre (SIDHRC), NIPA, a 40-year-old resident of Gulistan-e-Johar has tested positive for the virus. The patient has been admitted to the hospital's isolation ward, where he is being kept under medical observation and receiving treatment.
Hospital authorities stated that the patient has no history of foreign travel. However, laboratory testing confirmed the presence of the Mpox virus through a PCR test conducted on his samples. Earlier this year, a 22-year-old resident of Buffer Zone area was admitted to the SIDHRC with the presence of virus through a PCR test. While, another case involving a 31-year-old who had returned from abroad was also reported in the city.
The provincial Health Minister Azra Pechuho had directed emergency measures to contain the virus. Isolation units were been established in major government hospitals, and doctors and nurses have been provided with protective equipment, including gowns, gloves, and masks.
Monkeypox primarily spreads through direct skin-to-skin contact, as well as through contact with infected lesions or bodily fluids. While monkeypox is generally not fatal, weakened immunity can lead to complications, particularly among newborns, who have accounted for several of the reported deaths. Early symptoms include fever, cold, sore throat, and rash, which may progress into pus-filled lesions.
