Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported its first locally transmitted case of monkeypox, health authorities confirmed on Monday.
According to Provincial Health Advisor Ehtesham Khan, the patient is a woman whose husband had recently returned from a Gulf country.
She was admitted to a hospital on February 18 with fever and body aches, and a day later, developed rashes on her body and mouth. Laboratory tests at Khyber Medical University confirmed monkeypox on February 21.
Read more: Monkeypox cases detected in Pakistan
Health officials have completed screening of the patient’s family and close contacts. “All close relatives, including her husband, have been advised to self-isolate,” the health advisor stated.
Authorities have urged the public to stay alert for symptoms and seek medical assistance if needed.
Monkeypox, a viral infection, spreads through close contact with an infected person and causes fever, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and a distinct rash.
While previous cases in the province involved travelers returning from abroad, this marks the first instance of local transmission.
