Islamabad, March 31 (IANS) Pakistan's Karachi has reported its first case of mpox in 2026, local media reported on Tuesday citing hospital sources.

A 31-year-old man who returned from abroad was screened at Karachi airport, where his symptoms raised suspicion of infection. He was immediately taken to the Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital for further evaluation, Pakistan's leading daily 'The Express Tribune' reported.

The patient was admitted to the hospital, where he underwent medical examination and testing. Medical Superintendent Dr Waheed Rajput said that patient tested positive for mpox. However, he was discharged from the hospital within two days after he showed improvement.

On February 7, Pakistan reported its second death related to mpox, after a 53-year-old man from Faisalabad, who was also suffering from HIV and hepatitis B and C, died while undergoing treatment at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).

According to the hospital and health authorities, the patient was admitted to PIMS with extensive skin and genital lesions consistent with mpox, Pakistan's leading media outlet Geo News reported. However, he died on February 7 while undergoing treatment at PIMS. This marked the second mpox-related death in Pakistan so far.

According to the officials, the patient had no recent travel history, indicating local transmission of mpox in Pakistan. The case has sparked concern among public health experts that the virus is circulating in Pakistan, with clear evidence of community spread.

The latest fatality in Pakistan has been reported after the first mpox-related death was recorded in Islamabad in December 2023, demonstrating the vulnerability of people with weakened immune systems to severe outcomes of the disease.

Officials in Pakistan's federal health ministry and the National Institute of Health said Pakistan reported 53 confirmed mpox cases in 2025, majority of them detected through surveillance at points of entry and hospitals. However, they admitted that the absence of travel history in the latest case indicates local transmission, raising the need for surveillance, early detection and measures to control infection.

--IANS

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