{"id":83648,"date":"2024-08-15T21:33:56","date_gmt":"2024-08-15T21:33:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/ncoc-issues-advisory-as-first-suspected-mpox-case-quarantined\/"},"modified":"2024-08-15T21:33:56","modified_gmt":"2024-08-15T21:33:56","slug":"ncoc-issues-advisory-as-first-suspected-mpox-case-quarantined","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/ncoc-issues-advisory-as-first-suspected-mpox-case-quarantined\/","title":{"rendered":"NCOC issues advisory as first suspected mpox case quarantined"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<p>The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) issued an advisory on Thursday to ensure preparedness to deal with mpox, formerly called monkeypox, as the country\u2019s first suspected case for 2024 was reported.<\/p>\n<p>Mpox can spread through close contact. Usually mild, it is fatal in rare cases. It causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body.<\/p>\n<p>The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday declared mpox a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1852374\/who-declares-global-health-emergency-on-mpox\">global public health emergency<\/a> for the second time in two years, following an outbreak of the viral infection in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that has spread to neighbouring countries.<\/p>\n<p>Health ministry spokesperson Sajid Shah told <em>Dawn.com<\/em> today that a suspected case was reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"media  sm:w-1\/2  w-full  media--right  media--embed  media--uneven\">\n<p>    <iframe class=\"nk-iframe\" onload=\"setInterval(()=&gt;{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"height:250px;position:relative\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/card\/1852468\" sandbox=\"allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\u201cThe suspected person has arrived from the Gulf. Samples have been collected from the suspect and sent to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for confirmation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Shah said the individual had minor symptoms of the viral infection but contact tracing was being carried out to avoid local transmission and some more samples were being sent to the NIH.<\/p>\n<p>The spokesperson said that all provinces were directed to appoint focal persons so that they could be contacted over mpox-related developments.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMoreover, Border Health Services has been directed to enhance monitoring at all entry points of the country,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, an NCOC meeting was held in the NIH on the directions of Prime Minister\u2019s Coordinator on Health Dr Malik Mukhtar.<\/p>\n<p>The meeting was physically or virtually attended by health authorities from across the country.<\/p>\n<p>According to an advisory issued by the forum, mpox was reported in all WHO regions, including 122 countries, with a total of 99,518 confirmed cases and 208 deaths to date.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile in Pakistan, a total of 11 cases with one death has been reported since first cases detected in April 2023,\u201d it stated.<\/p>\n<p>The NIH said the advisory provided guidelines for dealing with the infection.<\/p>\n<p>It said that people affected could have rash and fever on their face and body with complaints of headache and body aches.<\/p>\n<p>The advisory said a patient would remain infected for two to four weeks. It said that patients infected with Monkeypox should be kept in isolation until recovery.<\/p>\n<p>The NIH asked people to take strict precautions, keep the environment clean and ensure the use of masks by medical staff besides ensuring a hand washing routine.<\/p>\n<p>The UN health agency\u2019s declaration on the virus came the day after the African Union\u2019s health watchdog <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1852060\/africas-top-public-health-body-declares-monkeypox-emergency\">declared<\/a> its own public health emergency over the growing outbreak.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1723650\/monkeypox-to-be-renamed-mpox-who\">Formerly called<\/a> monkeypox, the virus was first discovered in humans in 1970 in what is now the DRC.<\/p>\n<p>It is an infectious disease caused by a virus transmitted to humans by infected animals but can also be passed from human to human through close physical contact.<\/p>\n<p>In May 2022, mpox infections surged worldwide, mostly affecting gay and bisexual men, due to the Clade 2b subclade.<\/p>\n<p>The WHO <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1701252\/who-declares-global-emergency-over-monkeypox\">declared<\/a> a public health emergency which lasted from July 2022 to May 2023.<\/p>\n<p>That outbreak, which has now largely subsided, caused some 140 deaths out of around 90,000 cases.<\/p>\n<p>The Clade 1b subclade, which has been surging in the DRC since September 2023, causes more severe disease than Clade 2b, with a higher fatality rate.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"mpox-kills-548-in-drc-as-case-recorded-in-sweden\" href=\"#mpox-kills-548-in-drc-as-case-recorded-in-sweden\" class=\"heading-permalink\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Permalink\"\/>Mpox kills 548 in DRC as case recorded in Sweden<\/h2>\n<p>The DRC said the mpox outbreak has killed 548 people there this year, as the first case outside Africa of the virus\u2019s more dangerous variant was recorded in a traveller in Sweden.<\/p>\n<p>DRC\u2019s Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said in a video message that the country \u201chas recorded 15,664 potential cases and 548 deaths since the beginning of the year\u201d, with all provinces affected.<\/p>\n<p>The DRC is made up of 26 provinces and has a population of around 100 million.<\/p>\n<p>The most affected provinces are South Kivu, North Kivu, Tshopo, Equateur, North Ubangi, Tshuapa, Mongala and Sankuru, Kamba said.<\/p>\n<p>He said the government had put in place a \u201cnational strategic plan for vaccination against mpox\u201d, as well as improving surveillance of the disease at borders and checkpoints.<\/p>\n<p>The minister said that government-level working groups have been set up to boost contact tracing and help mobilise resources to \u201cmaintain control of this epidemic\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Sweden\u2019s Public Health Agency told <em>AFP<\/em> that it had registered a case of the same strain of the virus that has surged in the DRC since September 2023, known as the Clade 1b subclade.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA person who sought care\u201d in Stockholm \u201chas been diagnosed with mpox caused by the Clade I variant. It is the first case caused by Clade I to be diagnosed outside the African continent,\u201d the agency said in a separate statement.<\/p>\n<p>The person was infected during a visit to \u201cthe part of Africa where there is a major outbreak of mpox clade I\u201d, state epidemiologist Magnus Gisslen said in the statement.<\/p>\n<p>The agency added: \u201cThe fact that a patient with mpox is treated in the country does not affect the risk to the general population, a risk that the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) currently considers very low.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The WHO said more imported Clade 1 mpox cases were likely to be confirmed in Europe soon.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe confirmation of mpox Clade 1 in Sweden is a clear reflection of the interconnectedness of our world \u2026 there are likely to be further imported cases of Clade 1 in the European region over the coming days and weeks,\u201d the WHO\u2019s European regional office said in a statement.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"vaccine-drive\" href=\"#vaccine-drive\" class=\"heading-permalink\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Permalink\"\/>Vaccine drive<\/h2>\n<p>Separately, global vaccine group Gavi has up to $500 million to spend on getting shots to countries affected by the escalating mpox outbreak, its chief executive Sania Nishtar told <em>Reuters<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The money is available in the organisation\u2019s \u201cFirst Response\u201d fund, which was set up after global health agencies like Gavi were left behind by high-income countries in procuring vaccines during the early days of Covid-19.<\/p>\n<p>It can be used to respond to health emergencies. The funds are largely left over from money donated by governments and global health funders for the Covid-19 response.<\/p>\n<p>The money for the vaccines is ready to be tapped into, Nishtar said, but there were hurdles to clear, including official requests for vaccines from affected countries, as well as approvals of the vaccines from the WHO.<\/p>\n<p>Gavi and Unicef, which work together to buy vaccines, cannot do so without WHO approving them. On Wednesday, the global health agency said it was hoping to finalise its evaluation of the vaccines by September.<\/p>\n<p>Nishtar said Gavi was also in early talks with the manufacturers of the two mpox vaccines that are widely used, made by Bavarian Nordic and LM Biologics. Official orders can only proceed after approval, she said.<\/p>\n<p>Bavarian Nordic has said it can make 10 million doses by the end of 2025.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have already significant capacity in place and can easily handle delivery of all doses needed for the outbreak,\u201d a Bavarian Nordic spokesman said by email.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut we need someone to buy the doses. None of the organisations have shown interest so far,\u201d he added, without providing details.<\/p>\n<p>LC Biologics said in an email it would cooperate with WHO as much as possible.<\/p>\n<p>In the meantime, Gavi is coordinating with countries like the United States, which has had 50,000 doses available for donation for months. Bavarian Nordic has also donated 15,000 doses.<\/p>\n<p>However, the DRC has yet to make an official request for the shots, which Nishtar said was a delaying factor, along with arranging legal processes and deployment plans for vaccination.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><em>Additional input from APP.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) issued an advisory on Thursday to ensure preparedness to deal with mpox, formerly called monkeypox, as the country\u2019s first suspected case for 2024 was reported. Mpox can spread through close contact. Usually mild, it is fatal in rare cases. It causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":83649,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.dawn.com\/large\/2024\/08\/152205048079739.jpg?r=220507","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-83648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-news"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83648","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=83648"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83648\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/83649"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=83648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=83648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=83648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}