In just two weeks, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported its third confirmed monkeypox case. Dr. Irshad Roghani, Director of Public Health, revealed that a 51-year-old traveler from Orakzai district showed symptoms of the virus upon arriving at Bacha Khan Airport after returning from abroad. The medical team at the airport identified the suspected case during routine screening, and the individual was transferred to Police Line Hospital in Peshawar for testing.

Blood samples were quickly taken by Rapid Response teams at Police Line Hospital and sent to the Public Health Reference Laboratory at Khyber Medical University, where the diagnosis was confirmed. The patient, currently stable, is being treated in the Isolation Ward of Police Line Hospital, marking the third case in the region within a fortnight.

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The first case in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this year was detected on August 15, 2024, shortly after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency due to a rising outbreak in Africa and the emergence of a new variant in several countries. All confirmed cases in KP involve travelers who recently returned from abroad.

The initial case involved a resident of the Mardan district, followed by a second case in Nowshera, and now a third in the traveler from Orakzai district. Genetic sequencing of the first two cases confirmed infection with the Clade 2B strain of the virus.