Two patients in Pakistan’s Sindh province have been diagnosed with mpox, bringing the provincial total to 25 cases in 2026. Among the 122 suspected cases in Sindh this year, 25 have been confirmed as mpox, with nine resulting in fatalities, as per reports from local media. Khairpur leads with 18 confirmed cases, followed by Karachi with four and Sukkur with three cases. The local department’s statement lacks specifics on the new cases and the investigation progress at two hospitals in Khairpur, where several infants were infected and subsequently passed away.
Emergency measures have been implemented in Sindh to combat the virus, including the establishment of isolation units in major government hospitals and the provision of protective gear like gowns, gloves, and masks to healthcare workers, as stated by Health Minister Azra Pechuho. While acknowledging the deaths of five out of nine affected children at hospitals, Pechuho clarified that mpox was not the direct cause of death, attributing it to the children’s weakened and malnourished state. Mpox, caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV), manifests with symptoms such as rash, fever, headache, muscle ache, and can be severe in some cases.
Mpox, an infectious disease, spreads through close contact with infected individuals, contaminated materials, or animals. Pregnant women can transmit the virus to their fetus, and newborns can acquire it during or after birth, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
