On Monday, the Pakistani government issued special instructions to all national and provincial health authorities to be on high alert for any suspected case of monkeypox.
According to Radio Pakistan, the Ministry of National Health Services is closely monitoring the situation and has debunked social media reports of monkeypox cases in the country.
“The official (of the Ministry) said that as per reports of the National Institute of Health (NIH), no case of monkeypox has been diagnosed in the country so far,” it added.
Previously, the National Institute of Health clarified that social media reports on the disease’s prevalence in the country were “incorrect.” It had also urged national and provincial health authorities to be on the lookout for any suspected cases.
Last week, Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel announced that the government had ordered testing kits for the viral disease’s diagnosis.
“We have ordered the kits (for testing) and they will reach soon,” he said, adding that staff at entry points of the country had also been alerted.
“There has been no case so far,” Patel confirmed.
According to an NIH alert, monkeypox is a rare viral zoonotic disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus.
Although the natural reservoir of monkeypox is unknown, the virus may be carried by African rodents and non-human primates such as monkeys and infect humans.
According to Dawn, the disease could be transmitted through contact with infected animals, humans, or materials contaminated with the virus.
The virus enters the body via broken skin, the respiratory tract, or mucous membranes such as the eyes, nose, and mouth.
Within one to three days of the appearance of fever, the patient develops a rash, which usually begins on the face and spreads to other parts of the body. Headache, muscle aches, exhaustion, and lymphadenopathy are some of the other symptoms.
The incubation period is typically seven to fourteen days, but it can range from five to twenty-one days. Typically, the illness lasts two to four weeks.
The World Health Organization reported last week that the virus had spread to more than 20 countries, with approximately 200 confirmed cases and over 100 suspected cases in countries where it is not normally found.
