First case of mpox recorded in Pak’s Punjab

Lahore: Days after Pakistan declared itself free from mpox, Punjab province reported its first case of the disease on Tuesday, with the health authorities issuing an alert for the public and private sector hospitals across the province to take emergency measures.

According to the Punjab Health Department, the first mpox case in the province was detected in a man who arrived from Saudi Arabia last month.

“The 40-year-old man belonging to Mandi Bahauddin district of Punjab has been diagnosed with mpox upon his return from Saudi Arabia last month,” Punjab caretaker Health Minister Dr Javed Akram told reporters on Tuesday. Mpox is the preferred term for monkeypox, changed due to concerns of stigma and racism associated with the name, according to the World Health Organisation.

Akram added that the report of another suspected patient is awaited.

He said an alert was issued to government hospitals across the province regarding mpox.