Karachi Airport has seen a surge in Mpox cases, with three suspected infections reported in a single day on Sunday.
The first case involved a passenger arriving from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saudi Airlines flight SV 708. The second case was linked to a passenger from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on PIA flight PK 732. The third suspected case involved an 18-year-old female passenger who arrived from Dubai on Fly Dubai, having previously traveled from Saudi Arabia.
All three individuals have been transferred to the Sindh government’s Infectious Diseases Hospital, where they will be isolated until test results confirm their status.
This surge in cases coincides with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) approval of the first Mpox vaccine, MVA-BN. Approved for individuals aged 18 and older, the vaccine is administered in two doses, four weeks apart. It is reported to be 76% effective after the first dose and 82% effective after the second. The WHO has also declared Mpox a public health emergency.
