KP Mpox Cases Reach 19 as Local Spread Emerges

KP mpox cases reached 19 this year after health officials in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded a fresh case in Chitral. Doctors say the last five patients, all diagnosed last week, show signs of local infection, with no history of foreign travel.

Last week, the health department recorded four mpox cases in a single day. All four patients had no history of foreign travel. The patients included a couple. The latest patient, recorded in Chitral, has also never gone abroad.

“He might have contracted the disease from a local patient. It is one of the sexually-transmitted infections and the number of infected persons can be higher if we carry out screening,” a senior dermatologist said.

The shift worries health officials. Earlier cases in the province were largely linked to travel and detected at airports. Local cases point to spread inside communities, where patients may avoid testing because of social stigma around a sex-borne disease.

KP mpox cases: what the latest patients show

A health department report said three of the latest diagnosed patients were admitted to hospital. Two were in home isolation. Officials said the recently detected patients had no record of going abroad, and they likely caught the ailment through local transmission.

Dermatologists said the latest trend also points to possible spread from Punjab or Karachi, where the disease is prevalent. Punjab initially remained free of mpox, they said, but later announced more than 25 cases late last year. That surge may have driven the rise in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cases.

The change in pattern over time concerns officials. They said possible community transmission raises the risk that mpox could become endemic if surveillance and containment do not strengthen in time. The first locally infected case in the province, with no foreign travel history, was diagnosed in February 2025. Two cases detected in 2023 had originated in the Middle East.

From airport detection to community spread

In March this year, the health department advised all public and private hospitals to remain vigilant for mpox. Hospitals were told to ensure timely isolation and testing of suspected patients. The advisory described mpox as a zoonotic infection first attributed to Gulf countries, from where people were deported after testing positive.

In the past, many patients were isolated when they appeared suspicious at an airport and tested at the public health reference laboratory. That route caught imported cases early. Local cases do not pass through an airport check, so they depend on patients seeking care and doctors recognising the signs.

Health officials said they have already circulated an advisory to all hospitals. The advisory covers case definitions, sampling procedures, contact management and outbreak response measures. The National Institute of Health in Islamabad says early detection and rapid referral remain the most effective steps to protect patients, health care workers and the wider community.

Public health agencies, including the World Health Organization and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recommend sustained surveillance, early recognition, infection prevention and control in health care settings, and prompt laboratory confirmation to limit spread.

What it means for patients and hospitals

The senior dermatologist warned that the true number of infected people could be higher than the recorded tally. Patients may avoid doctors because they fear stigma after testing positive for a sex-borne disease. That reluctance makes screening and early containment harder.

How many mpox cases has Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded this year?

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has recorded 19 mpox cases this year, after a fresh case in Chitral took the tally up from 18.

Why do doctors fear local transmission?

The last five patients diagnosed last week had no travel history, which suggests they caught the virus locally rather than bringing it in from abroad.

Are the latest patients in hospital or at home?

Three of the latest diagnosed patients were admitted to hospital, while two were in home isolation, according to a health department report.

What should hospitals do with a suspected case?

Hospitals should isolate the patient at once, test promptly, manage contacts and follow the health department advisory on sampling and outbreak response.

What should people do if they notice symptoms?

People should seek care early at a hospital, tell doctors about any close contact with a case, and avoid delay caused by fear of stigma.