Mpox virus: Pakistan announces 12-day lockdown in Khyber District

Despite the lockdown, essential services — including grocery stores, pharmacies, tandoors, general stores, and emergency services — will remain operational

PUBLISHED: Fri 2 May 2025, 11:57 AM

By:
Web Desk

Authorities in Pakistan's Khyber district have enforced a 12-day lockdown in Mohalla Pump House after a case of mpox has been confirmed.

According to Deputy Commissioner Bilal Shahid Rao, the area was immediately sealed off once health officials verified the infection.

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All entry and exit points to the neighbourhood have been closed as part of the containment strategy.

Despite the lockdown, essential services — including grocery stores, pharmacies, tandoors, general stores, and emergency services — will remain operational under standard safety protocols.

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Authorities have warned that violators of the lockdown will be met with legal action.

This case has heightened concerns in the region, especially after the Public Health Section of the Health Department confirmed the 8th case of mpox in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

A 31-year-old man tested positive at Peshawar Airport while preparing for his international flight.

The patient had returned to Pakistan on April 16 and was immediately transferred to the isolation ward. In response, the health department launched contact tracing and surveillance efforts, urging the public to stay alert and report any symptoms promptly.

This is not the first alarm in the Khyber district. In March, a woman from Dogra tested positive for mpox, initially raising fears of local transmission. However, further investigation traced back the virus to her husband who had recently returned from abroad and later tested positive despite being asymptomatic during screening.

Most recently, two additional mpox cases have been confirmed in Peshawar, underscoring the urgent need for continued vigilance, rapid response, and strict containment efforts by health authorities.