Health authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have asked all public and private hospitals to remain alert for cases of Mpox after more than two dozen infections were recorded in the province over the past year.
Officials say 26 confirmed cases have been identified through provincial surveillance and laboratory testing.
The patients include 18 men and six women.
The advisory was issued after health departments observed a rise in suspected case referrals and confirmed infections reported by hospitals.
Early cases linked to travel
According to officials, the first infections were largely associated with travellers returning from Gulf countries.
Several patients had reportedly tested positive before being deported to Pakistan.
However, more recent cases have raised concerns about possible local transmission.
Health officials say some infections appear to have been brought into the province from Punjab, which confirmed more than 25 mpox cases late last year.
At first, authorities in Punjab reported no infections.
But the later increase in cases there may have contributed to the spread into neighbouring areas, officials said.
Hospitals asked to isolate suspected patients
Hospitals across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been instructed to isolate suspected patients as soon as they are identified and follow standard infection prevention procedures while laboratory results are pending.
Doctors have been asked to consider mpox in patients who develop symptoms such as rash, fever, body aches, or swollen lymph nodes.
The risk is considered higher if the patient has had close contact with someone suspected of having the virus.
Health authorities have also asked departments that are often the first to see such patients to remain particularly vigilant.
These include dermatology units, paediatric wards, sexual health clinics and emergency departments.
Testing and laboratory procedures
Medical staff have been advised to collect lesion swab samples from suspected patients according to national guidelines.
The samples should then be sent to the Public Health Reference Laboratory for confirmation through PCR testing.
Hospitals have also been told to follow the national guidelines issued by the National Institute of Health in Islamabad.
These guidelines outline procedures for case definitions, sampling, contact management and outbreak response.
Signs of possible community transmission
Health officials say the pattern of infections has changed over time.
The number of cases reported in 2025 was higher than in 2024, and new infections have continued to appear in early 2026.
Some recent patients had no history of international travel.
This has raised concerns that the virus may be spreading within communities rather than only through imported cases.
Patients reported so far have ranged in age from 10 to 80 years, with cases identified across several districts and hospitals.
Officials say early detection, isolation and testing will be key to preventing further spread.
“Without timely measures, mpox may become endemic,” health officials warned, urging hospitals to follow national guidelines and strengthen surveillance.
Also read: Monkeypox Case Reported in Karachi
