A concerning mpox outbreak has emerged in Khairpur, marking the first locally transmitted cluster of the disease in the country, leading to the deaths of four newborns, while a total of seven infections have been confirmed among infants.
Health authorities are investigating the source of the outbreak and have raised alarms over infection control practices, as the cases were reported in hospital settings.
According to local media reports, the affected newborns were receiving treatment in intensive care units at both public and private hospitals and may have been exposed through unsterilized medical equipment.
The health department was first alerted on March 14 after reports of unusual skin rashes among infants.
Blood samples were sent to Karachi for testing and analyzed at multiple laboratories, confirming seven mpox cases. However, medical experts said that mpox was not the direct cause of death, noting that all affected infants were premature, underweight, and suffering from complications linked to malnutrition.
In response, neonatal intensive care units in key hospitals have been temporarily closed, while authorities conduct contact tracing and enforce stricter infection control measures.
