Pakistan reports first case of Deadly mpox Virus

Context

Pakistan has confirmed at least one case of the mpox virus, a day after Sweden confirmed an infection with a more easily spread and deadlier variant linked to a recent outbreak in Africa.

WHO declares an International Emergency

The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the recent outbreak of MPox, a public health emergency of international concern.
- This move follows the identification of a new strain of the virus and recent confirmations of an infection in Sweden, which is linked to the growing outbreak in Africa.The majority of the affected individuals are children.
- This is the second alert. In 2022, a different form of the mpox virus – clade IIb – spread globally, largely through sexual contact among men who have sex with men.
Symptoms: Mpox, caused by the monkeypox virus, presents symptoms that include a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes, and fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes and can result in severe illness for some patients. In rare cases, the infection can be deadly.
Contagious Period: The affected individuals can spread the virus from the onset of symptoms until the rash has fully healed and new skin has formed.
Duration of Mpox Symptoms: Symptoms typically start within 21 days of exposure to the virus.
Incubation Period ranges from 3 to 17 days. During this period, individuals may feel fine and show no symptoms.
Transmission:
- Direct skin-to-skin contact
- Contact with saliva or upper respiratory secretions (snot, mucus)
- Bodily fluids or lesions around the genitals
- Prolonged face-to-face interactions (talking or breathing)
- Contact with contaminated objects, fabrics, and surfaces
- Pregnant women can pass the virus to the fetus during pregnancy or to newborns during and after birth
Vaccination: Smallpox vaccines can protect due to the relatedness of Mpox and smallpox viruses (both are orthopoxviruses).

About Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

A PHEIC is a formal designation, giving a special status for an emergency caused by an infectious disease outbreak from the World Health Organization (WHO), tied to international law through the International Health Regulations (IHR).
A PHEIC is the strongest global alert the WHO can formally make.
When it is declared, countries have a legal duty to respond quickly, whereas with a pandemic there is no infrastructure around the decision-making process, agreed criteria, or agreement of what countries need to do in response.
The PHEIC declaration can accelerate research, funding and international public health measures and cooperation to contain a disease.
It triggers emergency responses in countries worldwide under the legally binding International Health Regulations.