Three passengers suspected of having mpox at Karachi airport sent to hospital

• Passengers shifted to Sindh govt's Infectious Diseases Hospital.
• Suspected patients to be kept in isolation till test reports come.
• Pakistan's tally of confirmed mpox cases in 2024 stands at six.

KARACHI: At least three passengers travelling to Karachi were suspected of monkeypox in a single day at the Jinnah International Airport, Geo News reported on Sunday citing sources.

All three passengers were returning to Pakistan from Middle Eastern countries, the sources added.

According to the insiders, all three passengers have been shifted to Sindh government's Infectious Diseases Hospital and they will be kept in isolation ward until the test report comes. 

The total tally of confirmed mpox cases is six across Pakistan with most cases reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. 

Mpox is a virus that causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions and, while usually mild, it can kill. Children, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are all at higher risk of complications, reported Reuters.

In August, the WHO The World Health Organisation declared the recent outbreak of the disease a public health emergency of international concern after the new variant was identified.

There have been 27,000 cases and more than 1,100 deaths, mainly among children, in DR Congo since the current outbreak began in January 2023.