Mpox in Pakistan: KP reports 4 new cases in Nowshera, Peshawar and Mardan, none had travelled

Mpox in Pakistan: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has confirmed four new mpox cases, taking the province's total for 2026 to 18, and none of the four had travelled abroad, the provincial health department said, The Express Tribune reported. The lack of travel history has raised concern that the virus is now passing between people inside the province, and health teams are tracing everyone the patients were in close contact with.

Where the new cases are

The patients are one woman and three men. Samples were confirmed at the Public Health Reference Laboratory at Khyber Medical University, and all four have been told to isolate at home.

KP's mpox count this year

• 18 cases since the first on 9 January 2026
• 13 recovered
• 1 death

Sindh has recorded a far heavier toll: a toddler's death at Karachi's NIPA infectious diseases hospital last week took Sindh's mpox deaths to 12, and a case was confirmed at PIMS in Islamabad in September.

Symptoms to watch for

According to the World Health Organization, mpox usually starts with:

• fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain and low energy;
• swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpit or groin, a classic sign;
• a rash that often begins on the face and spreads to the hands and feet, turning into blisters and then scabs over two to four weeks.

In some people the rash appears first, or only in one area. Children, pregnant women and people with weak immune systems face the highest risk of complications.

How it spreads and what to do

Mpox passes through close contact with an infected person's skin, sores, body fluids, bedding or towels. A person stays infectious until every sore has healed and new skin has formed.

• If you or a family member has an unexplained rash with fever, see a doctor and tell them about it before you arrive, so you can be seen away from other patients.
• Keep the sick person's towels, bedding and utensils separate, and wash hands often.
• Do not burst or scratch the blisters.

Public hospitals in Peshawar and other districts are testing suspected cases. To find a hospital near you, see our hospitals in Peshawar listings.