Peshawar:
Two other cases of Monkeypox (MPOX) have been reported in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, which has the total number of cases in the province.
According to the Health Department, newly affected people include a 42 -year -old man and a 20 -year -old, both residents of Peshawar. While the 20 -year -old case is transmitted locally, the 42 -year -old man returned from Saudi Arabia last year.
The adviser of the Minister of Health, Ehtesham Ali, said that the two patients had been isolated at home. They had initially visited the Khyber university hospital for treatment, where tests were carried out due to suspicious symptoms. The results then confirmed MPOX in both cases.
No symptoms have been detected in family members of the two affected patients. Sources have informed the Express PK Press Club that an earlier case of a woman affected by MPOX was initially classified as transmitted locally. However, a more in -depth investigation revealed that her husband had recently returned from abroad and had transmitted the disease to her.
The health service has confirmed that women remain in isolation, but its case is not considered a local transmission. His six children and parents were screened and samples of two cousins were taken, but no MPOX cases were detected among them.
Earlier this year, cases were also reported by Kohat, Khyber and North Waziristan.
Background
In February, Ehtesham Ali confirmed another MPOX case in the province. According to him, it was the first confirmed case of local transmission to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, because the previous cases were identified in people returning from abroad.
The husband of the affected woman had recently returned from a Gulf country. Although he initially presented no symptoms, he was then tested positive for Mpox.
Dr. Fazal Majeed, director of public health, said that the patient was admitted to the hospital on February 18 with fever and body pain. On February 19, rashes and wounds appeared on his body and inside his mouth, which prompted the public health coordinator, Dr. Muhammad Amir Khan, to report the case.
On February 20, an investigation team collected its samples and sent them to the Public Health Reference Laboratory of the Khyber Medical University, Peshawar. The diagnosis was confirmed on February 21.
Regarding the woman’s husband, Dr. Majeed noted that he had shown no symptoms when he returned to Pakistan. However, on February 5, he developed a fever and body pain, followed by rashes on February 6. Despite his symptoms, he stayed at home for 10 to 15 days without looking for medical care.
On February 22, a medical team examined the patient’s history, screened family members and close contact, and asked all those exposed, including her husband, to undergo home insulation.
Dr. Majeed urged the public to remain vigilant for MPOX symptoms and to consult an immediate doctor if signs appear.
