Pakistan has confirmed its first case of mpox this year, but the strain detected is not the new, more deadly variant spreading rapidly in Africa, health officials said on Friday. The case, in a man who had recently returned from a Middle Eastern country, is the first in Pakistan this year but the nature of the variant was yet to be determined. This comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the spread of mpox a global health emergency.

The WHO this week declared the rapid spread of the new Clade 1b strain in Africa a public health emergency of international concern – the highest alarm it can sound. The emergence of a new clade of mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC, and the reporting of cases in several neighboring countries are very worrying, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, adding that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives.

The Pakistani health ministry said the man was from Mardan, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. The patient is a 34-year-old man and is being treated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said Irshad Roghani, director of public health there. “This infection... is the first confirmed case we have this year,” he said. “For genetic sequencing of the strain, we have sent samples to Islamabad.”

The ministry in a statement said the man was from Mardan, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. It said the ministry has directed officials at border crossing points and airports to ensure strict surveillance and collect samples for medical tests if they see symptoms of the disease in any passenger returning from abroad.

It was unclear which Middle Eastern country the man had visited, and no cases of the new variant have yet been reported in that region. The United Arab Emirates, however, has had 16 confirmed cases of mpox since 2022, according to the WHO. The UAE is particularly affected by transnational outbreaks given its role as a hub connecting East and West with its long-haul carriers Emirates and Etihad.

The WHO has recorded more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths so far this year in DR Congo, already exceeding last year’s total. More than 96% of all cases and deaths have been in Congo.

Mpox: Symptoms, Transmission, and Treatment

The infectious disease is caused by a virus transmitted to humans by animals but can also spread human-to-human through close physical contact. It causes fever, muscular aches and large boil-like skin lesions. Mpox infections surged worldwide in May 2022, mostly affecting gay and bisexual men, due to the Clade 2b subclade.

The Clade 1b Strain: A Worrying Development

The WHO declared a public health emergency which lasted from July 2022 to May 2023. It has now largely subsided after causing some 140 deaths out of around 90,000 cases. But the Clade 1b subclade causes more severe disease than Clade 2b, with a higher fatality rate.

The WHO declared a public health emergency over the outbreak in Africa after cases in the DRC spread to nearby countries. There have been 27,000 cases and more than 1,100 deaths, mainly among children, in DRC since the current outbreak began in January 2023. Symptoms include fever, body aches, weakness, headaches and rashes.

Global Response to Mpox Outbreak

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared the mpox outbreaks a public health emergency, with more than 500 deaths among over 14,000 cases. It has called for international help to stop the virus’ spread.

Pakistan is conducting genetic sequencing to determine the variant of the latest case. Officials yet to confirm whether patient is infected with new deadlier variant known as clade 1b. The ministry flagged concerns that the location of the confirmed mpox patient in Pakistan is currently unknown, as he is suspected to have gone to another district after providing his samples for tests. “When we visited his home in Mardan, it was locked from [the] outside and his neighbours told us that the family has left for Dir,” the district health office (DHO) said. “We approached our fellow colleagues of the health department in Dir district but they couldn’t trace him, even in Dir,” the DHO said.

The ministry said it was carrying out contact tracing of the patient.

Pakistan's Measures to Prevent the Spread

Authorities in Pakistan started screening all travelers to the country for the mpox virus as a precautionary step after a positive case was detected this month. Scanners have been put in place at all airports and at border crossings with Afghanistan, China, India, Iran to report suspected infections as part of efforts to prevent the virus from spreading in the country, Malik Mukhtar Ahmed, the prime minister’s coordinator on national health, said Saturday at a news conference in Islamabad. 

“There is no point to panic,” Ahmed said, adding that Pakistan has enough vaccine kits. “We don’t foresee any emergency related to the infection.”

Pakistan has found 11 cases in more than a year, with the latest infection confirmed on Aug. 13 in a 34-year-old male who arrived from Saudi Arabia. One of the infected persons later died due to other illnesses, the official said. 

The Importance of Vigilance and Global Collaboration

The World Health Organization this week declared a global health emergency over the spread of a mutated strain of mpox. The WHO did not urge any travel restrictions to curb the spread of mpox. It is crucial that countries remain vigilant and collaborate to prevent the further spread of this disease and to ensure that everyone has access to the resources they need to protect themselves.

The Mpox Outbreak: A Global Challenge

The emergence of the new Clade 1b variant of mpox in Africa and its spread to other parts of the world underscore the importance of global collaboration and vigilance in public health. The WHO’s declaration of a global health emergency serves as a call to action for all countries to strengthen their surveillance systems, improve diagnostic capabilities, and provide essential resources to combat the spread of this disease. The outbreak highlights the interconnectedness of our world and the need for collective efforts to address emerging health threats.