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PESHAWAR: Pakistan has detected the primary constructive affected person with the monkeypox virus, Director General Health and Services of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dr Salim Khan confirmed to The News on Friday.
The KP authorities has established an isolation facility for suspected Mpox instances within the Police Services Hospital in Peshawar.
There had been, nonetheless, conflicting reviews in regards to the variety of sufferers recognized with the monkeypox virus.
DG Health and Services Dr Khan had earlier advised The News that two sufferers had been recognized with the Mpox virus they usually had a journey historical past of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
He said that samples of the third affected person had been despatched to the National Institute of Health laboratory in Islamabad for affirmation.
“I can affirm to you two constructive instances of monkeypox whereas samples of the third affected person have been despatched to the NIH laboratory in Islamabad and outcomes are awaited. All these three sufferers returned from UAE and are quarantined,” mentioned Dr Salim Khan, DG Health and Services Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Later, the Health Department introduced that the third affected person had additionally been confirmed constructive for the Mpox virus on the NIH.
However, Dr Irshad Roghani, Director of public Health, later issued a press release saying that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had reported solely a single affected person of Mpox, saying it was the primary case of 2024, each in Pakistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He mentioned the 2 different constructive instances had been reported in 2023.
The officers of the KP Health Department had earlier said that two constructive sufferers of Mpox had been detected upon their arrival from UAE within the Bacah Khan International Airport in Peshawar.
They mentioned that each of them had been quarantined. Senior officers of the Health Department advised The News on situation of anonymity that there have been some directions from excessive diplomatic officers that the title of the nation shouldn’t be talked about if the passengers are recognized with the illness upon their arrival from these nations.
Dr Roghani said in a press release that the affected person recognized with the Mpox virus had a journey historical past from Saudi Arabia. However, Sajid Hussain, a spokesman for the Federal Health Ministry, advised The News that just one affected person from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had examined constructive for the Mpox virus.
He nonetheless mentioned that the affected person had a journey historical past of UAE.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the latest outbreak of the illness as a public well being emergency of worldwide concern after a brand new variant of the virus has been recognized.
The well being division officers in Peshawar have said that the sufferers had been quarantined.
Upon investigation, no affected person was quarantined in any well being facility of the provincial capital metropolis.
The story of the primary constructive affected person can be very attention-grabbing.
District Health Officer Mardan, Dr Javed Iqbal advised The News that the affected person was admitted to the Khyber Teaching Hospital in Peshawar for the therapy of his fractured leg.
“This affected person had lately returned from Saudi Arabia and had settled in Mardan. He was taken to the Khyber Teaching Hospital in Peshawar for his fractured leg the place he had felt some pores and skin points and was despatched to the Dermatology Department of the identical hospital for his or her opinion,” mentioned Dr Iqbal.
He mentioned the dermatologists in KTH felt one thing critical in his pores and skin they usually took his samples and despatched them to the National Institute of Health laboratory in Islamabad the place he was recognized with the monkeypox virus.
Sajjad Khan, a spokesman for KTH, mentioned the medical doctors in KTH had correctly defined to him and his attendants in regards to the illness and its affect on different folks and had been suggested to quarantine him.
The affected person was discharged from the hospital and was taken to their residence in Manga city of Mardan district.
However, Dr Iqbal and his workforce visited their residence in Manga, they discovered it locked from the surface and the neighbours knowledgeable them that that they had gone to Lower Dir district.
Since the affected person had initially belonged to the Lower Dir district of the Malakand area, and settled in Mardan, the officers famous that they could have disappeared from the media.
DHO Mardan Dr Iqbal mentioned that they had approached their colleagues within the Health Department in Dir district, however they couldn’t hint him even in Dir. He mentioned their fundamental concern was that the affected person to be correctly quarantined in order that he couldn’t infect others.
Meanwhile, the Health Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Syed Qasim Ali Shah, has expressed critical concern over the latest affirmation of an Mpox case in Mardan.
In response, the minister has directed the Department of Health to take quick and efficient measures to stop the unfold of the illness. He instructed Dr Roghani, to prioritise surveillance, contact tracing, and the monitoring of the affected person’s actions.
Shah additionally highlighted that border well being companies groups have been deployed on the Pak-Afghan border and airports to make sure the screening of all incoming passengers, significantly these suspected of carrying the signs.
Providing additional particulars, Dr Roghani confirmed that the primary Mpox case of 2024 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had been reported in a affected person from Mardan.
The affected person is experiencing delicate signs and has been quarantined at residence. Contact tracing efforts are at the moment underway, with the Department of Health monitoring those that have come into contact with the affected person.
Dr Roghani added that isolation wards are being arrange for Mpox sufferers, and screening of all suspected travellers from overseas, significantly from Gulf nations, is ongoing. The Department of Health has already issued an advisory for the general public and healthcare employees, and WHO has declared Mpox an emergency.
Since 2022, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has confirmed three instances of Mpox. Two sufferers have already recovered, whereas samples from the present energetic case have been despatched to the National Institute of Health (NIH) for additional evaluation.
The WHO on Wednesday declared the outbreak in Africa a public well being emergency of worldwide concern or PHEIC after instances within the Democratic Republic of Congo unfold to close by nations. A PHEIC is WHO’s highest stage of alert.
There have been 27,000 instances and greater than 1,100 deaths, primarily amongst kids, in Congo because the present outbreak started in January 2023.
