A team of ten specialist doctors from Islamabad arrived in Khairpur on Wednesday after seven children in the district died from monkeypox infection. The medical experts conducted examinations of the infected children at the city hospital.
The team included Dr. Asif Syed, Dr. Saeed Khan, Dr. Azizullah, Wajid Ansari, Zia Qureshi, among others. They were accompanied by Civil Surgeon Rafiq Mangi and additional local doctors.
Earlier, the Deputy Commissioner of Khairpur confirmed that four of the seven children who had been suffering from skin diseases in the district died due to monkeypox infection. The district experienced a sudden outbreak of skin-related illnesses resulting in these fatalities.
Commissioner Abid Saleem Qureshi stated that four deaths were directly linked to monkeypox, while some of the affected children were also diagnosed with measles. In total, 19 children in the area have contracted the skin disease, with most deaths occurring in the Thari Mirwah region of Khairpur.
In response, the Sindh Health Department has directed all district health officers and medical superintendents to establish monkeypox response units in hospitals throughout Sindh to manage the outbreak effectively.
Monkeypox is a viral illness caused by the Mpox virus. Although its natural reservoir remains unknown, African rodents and non-human primates such as monkeys are believed to carry and transmit the virus to humans. The disease usually begins with a rash appearing one to three days after fever onset, starting on the face and spreading to other parts of the body. The rash evolves through several stages: macules, papules, vesicles, pustules, and scabs.
Additional symptoms may include headache, muscle pain, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes. The incubation period typically ranges from 7 to 14 days but can extend from 5 up to 21 days. The illness generally lasts between two and four weeks.
