Another mpox case of ‘local transmission’ appears in Karachi

• First one was reported last month
• A resident of East district dies from dengue, says health dept

KARACHI: As authorities struggle to contain the mpox outbreak in Khairpur, a public health crisis seems to have emerged in Karachi, which saw its second suspected case of local transmission of mpox and the first death from dengue on Thursday.

According to the health department, the dengue victim was a resident of city’s East district, while the mpox patient, a resident of Buffer Zone, is currently under treatment at the Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital and Research Centre (SIDH&RC).

“He is a 20-year-old student. He is stable and has no travel history,” SIDH&RC Medical Superintendent Dr Abdul Wahid Rajput told Dawn.

Sources said it’s the second case of mpox in Karachi, indicating local transmission of the viral disease. The first one was reported last month at the SIDH&RC. The patient was discharged after complete recovery.

Health department officials shared that a team led by focal person Dr Shankar has been formed to investigate the latest mpox case, while close contacts of the patient have been identified and are being monitored. So far, they haven’t showed any signs and symptoms of the disease.

A day earlier at a media roundtable meeting held at the Aga Khan University Hospital, experts had stated that one of the two mpox cases confirmed in Karachi this year had pointed to local transmission, while emphasising the need for treating mpox as an “immediate health concern”. They recommended strict enforcement of infection control protocols in healthcare settings and creating public awareness about the sources of transmission of the viral disease.

The sources said the public health situation has become more serious following the mpox outbreak in Khairpur, where authorities have recently sealed neonatal units at two hospitals — the sites of the outbreak. At least nine children had been affected at these units.

The outbreak, they added, had occurred due to “critical lapses” in infection control protocols.

Meanwhile, Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho has stated that 14 mpox have been confirmed this year in the province — 12 in Khairpur and two in Karachi — while urging citizens to get themselves admitted to hospitals if they develop body rash and pimples, as are seen in measles.

Five of the nine children affected from mpox in Khairpur, she said, have died, explaining that mpox “wasn’t the direct cause of their deaths” and that the children were too weak and malnourished.

“The department has set up isolation wards at all district hospitals in the province and directed healthcare providers to ensure use of personal protective equipment.

“It’s is important that affected citizens stay at hospitals where they could be tested for mpox,” she said in a video statement.

“Public sector hospitals are not charging for the test, which currently are being carried out at the Aga Khan University Hospital and the Dow University of Health Sciences. The patient has to stay at least for a day for clearance,” she said, adding that a patient testing positive for mpox should stay at the hospital till recovery that usually takes 24 days to a month.

“If you go home against medical advice, you are likely to infect other family members. They must not share bedding, towels, clothing and other things of personal use of the patient.”

The health minister, however, rejected public fear over the situation, calling for public precaution. “The 12 cases in Khairpur are still in the jurisdiction of the same district and we are trying our best that the disease doesn’t spread to other cities.”

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2026