First Mpox Case of New Variant in Asia Detected in Pakistan as China Begins Screening

China has announced that it will monitor individuals and goods entering the country for mpox, previously known as monkeypox, over the next six months. This decision follows the World Health Organization’s recent declaration of the outbreak as a global public health emergency.

China’s customs administration stated on Friday that travelers from regions experiencing mpox outbreaks, those who have been in contact with infected individuals, or those showing symptoms should proactively declare their status upon arrival in China. The directive also includes the requirement to sanitize vehicles, containers, and items originating from areas with confirmed mpox cases.

This announcement came just two days after the WHO issued its highest alert in response to the escalating mpox crisis in Africa. The African Union’s health authority had also declared a public health emergency as the virus continues to spread.

Meanwhile, Pakistan confirmed Asia’s first case of a new mpox variant on Friday, just a day after Sweden reported the first instance of this variant outside of Africa. Pakistani health officials noted that the infected individual had recently traveled from a Gulf nation.

Mpox, an infectious disease caused by a virus transmitted from animals to humans, can also spread through close physical contact between humans. The disease is characterized by symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, and large boil-like lesions on the skin.

The outbreak has significantly impacted the Democratic Republic of Congo, where mpox was first identified in humans in 1970, and has since spread to several other countries.