What is MonkeyPox Situation in Pakistan?

The top health bodies have issued a high alert to monitor the situations related to monkeypox.

What is MonkeyPox Situation in Pakistan? Well, the concern of authorities is visible with what is happening. The top health bodies have issued a high alert to monitor the situations related to monkeypox. No monkeypox has yet been reported in the country. The two suspected cases, in Karachi, of children with rash were found to have been mere skin rashes and blisters. The cases were reported at the National Institute of Child Health (NICH). The suspected children have been put into isolation and admitted to the health facility.

The situation is alarming that most Pakistani Laboratories, including the high-ranked the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad, Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) Karachi, and Aga Khan University Hospital (AKHU) Karachi, cannot test for the monkeypox virus.

The NIH Islamabad has clarified that the rumors of monkeypox cases in Pakistan are just social media hoaxes and nothing more than that as there is no confirmed case of the disease yet in the country.

Health experts have said that the monkeypox virus can be detected using real-time conventional Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). For the test the labs are equipped with the required machinery they are just lacking the required testing kits which can be developed in the country. Including the NIH Islamabad.

What is MonkeyPox Virus?

Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis disease that is transmitted from animals. The symptoms this virus carries are similar to smallpox (which has been eradicated from Earth). According to health professionals, the symptoms of monkeypox are less severe than that of smallpox. There are currently two identified clads of the virus: The Central African Clade, which includes the Congo Basin, and the West African Clade.

Check out All You Need to Know About Monkeypox Virus.

MonkeyPox Status in the World

The United Arab Emirates becomes the first country in the Gulf to report the virus. The total number of non-endemic countries has risen to 18 countries. Addition to this list is still expected. Outbreaks of the monkeypox are yet found in Europe America, Australia, and now the Middle East. The individual reported in the UAE is a traveler who had recently been to West Africa. This explains where he would have picked up the germs.

So far 237 cases have been confirmed from outside of Africa. Germany has ordered more than 40,000 doses of the Imvanex vaccine that was used to treat smallpox. The vaccine is said to be effective to treat monkeypox. People who have received the smallpox vaccine years ago would still have immunity from the vaccine. But the German health officials added that the older treatments carry more side effects so it is not much effective in fighting monkeypox today.

Symptoms of MonkeyPox

Symptoms of Moneypox

In humans, the symptoms of monkeypox can include the below:

• Headache
• Fever
• Muscle aches
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Exhaustion
• Chills

In a period of 1 to 3 days, or sometimes longer, after the fever, the infected develop a rash that further becomes a bump that is water-filled to being pus-filled and then becomes a crust. It starts from the face and then spreads to other parts of the body.

More from FactFile: Neha & Shahbaz Taseer welcome their first child, a baby boy

How to Prevent?

The most effective way to treat monkeypox is the preventive measure one can take:

• Abstain close contact with the person who is at risk of having the disease.
• Maintain good hygiene, especially after being in contact with animals.
• Avoid animals that are at risk of developing the virus.
• Evade direct contact with beddings, laundry, or any other utensil used or has been in contact with the sick animal or person.