Pakistan is on high alert after monkey pox cases were discovered in the UK and the US. 

Sindh Health Department has recommended increasing surveillance to prevent the monkey pox outbreak

Pakistan is on high alert after monkey pox cases were discovered in the UK and the US.

KARACHI:

 After 111 cases of monkey pox, an infectious disease, were reported in the United States and England, the Sindh Health Department issued a high alert on Monday, warning that the virus could spread to Pakistan.

The provincial health agency stated in a statement that a high alert has been issued to take prompt action to avoid the spread of the infectious disease throughout the country.

Because infected persons entering in the country could start an outbreak, the health department has chosen to inspect inbound travelers from virus-affected countries, according to the statement.

To avoid the spread of the disease, the health ministry has suggested that surveillance be increased.

According to experts, the virus can be spread by contact with a contaminated person's skin sores or droplets, as well as through shared things like beds or towels.

What is monkey pox?

Monkey pox is a virus that occasionally passes from wild animals like rats and primates to people. The disease is endemic throughout Central and West Africa, which accounts for the bulk of human cases.

After two outbreaks of a "pox-like" disease in experimental monkeys, scientists found the virus in 1958, earning the term monkey pox. A nine-year-old kid in a rural part of Congo acquired the first human infection in 1970.

Symptoms and treatment

Monkey pox is a member of the same virus family as smallpox, but the symptoms are less.

Fever, bodily pains, chills, and tiredness are the most common symptoms. Rashes and sores on the face and hands in people with serious illnesses can spread to other parts of the body.

The quarantine period can last anywhere from five to three weeks. Without hospitalization, the majority of people recover in two to four weeks.

Monkey pox can kill up to one in ten people, and the disease is thought to be more dangerous in children.