ISLAMABAD: The National Institute of Health (NIH) confirmed on Tuesday that a suspected case of mpox has tested negative.

“The development confirms that Pakistan has reported only one case since the World Health Orga­nisation (WHO) declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern,” Sajid Shah, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Health Services, told Dawn.

The suspected case was identified on Monday by Border Health Services (BHS) at Islamabad Airport.

“The 47-year-old suspect, who arrived from a Gulf country, was shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) and admitted to the isolation ward. His sample was sent to the NIH for the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test,” Pims focal person for mpox Dr Naseem Akhtar earlier told Dawn.

She added that contact tracing would be initiated if the patient tested positive for mpox, previously known as monkeypox.

Mr Shah said that the individual was a resident of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

“So far, only one case of mpox has been reported in Pakistan. The Ministry of Health is continuously monitoring the situation and effective measures are being taken to protect the public from mpox,” he said.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2024