The first locally transmitted case of monkeypox has been confirmed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as announced by health authorities on Monday.
Provincial Health Advisor Ehtesham Khan stated that the patient is a woman whose husband had recently traveled back from a Gulf country. She was admitted to a hospital on February 18 with fever and body aches, and by the next day, rashes appeared on her body and mouth. Lab tests at Khyber Medical University confirmed monkeypox on February 21.
Read more: Pakistan Confirms its Fourth Monkeypox Case
Health officials have screened the patient’s family and close contacts, advising all, including her husband, to self-isolate. Authorities have urged the public to stay alert for symptoms and seek immediate medical help if needed.
Monkeypox, a contagious viral infection, spreads through close contact with an infected individual and is characterized by fever, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and a distinctive rash. While previous cases were linked to travelers, this marks the first recorded instance of local transmission in the province.
