Assalam-o-Alaikum, my dear readers. I hope you and your family are well today. I am Maryam, and I am writing this with a caring heart, because this is one of those topics where a little bit of right information can save a lot of fear.
Last week, a mother in my family WhatsApp group sent a photo of a small rash on her child’s arm and asked, “Is this mpox?” Within minutes, ten people gave ten different answers. One said it was just heat rash. One said to rush to hospital at once. One forwarded a voice note that I am quite sure was not true at all. That moment stayed with me. When fear moves faster than facts, families suffer. So today, let us sit together, calmly, and look at what is really happening with mpox in Pakistan, what the signs are, and what you should actually do. No panic. Just clear facts.
What Has Happened in Sindh So Far
Sindh has recorded 98 confirmed mpox cases in 2026, and 12 people have died from the infection, according to reports based on provincial health data. The latest reported death was an 18-month-old child from Malir in Karachi, who died at the Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital and Research Centre in Karachi. The hospital confirmed the death, and the child had been moved there from a private facility a few days earlier.
The numbers have risen slowly, week by week. On 7 October, the provincial tally stood at 93 cases with 11 deaths, in data from the Provincial Disease Surveillance and Response Unit. By 15 October, the tally had reached 94 after an infant tested positive. By 24 October, it was 98 cases. In the week before that last count, seven more patients, including an infant, were admitted to hospital in Karachi. All seven were residents of Karachi.
Karachi has the most cases, followed by Khairpur, Sukkur and Hyderabad. Khairpur was where the outbreak first hit hard earlier this year. In April, several newborn babies receiving treatment in hospital intensive care units in Khairpur died during an outbreak in which infection-control lapses were raised as a concern. I write that sentence with a heavy heart. These were tiny babies, in hospital, where families trusted they would be safe.
The story is not only about Sindh. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the provincial health department said on 28 October that four new cases had been confirmed, taking the province’s total to 18 cases, with one death reported so far. Peshawar has the highest number there, with five cases. So this is not one city’s problem. It is a Pakistan problem, and it needs a Pakistan-wide calm response.
What Is Mpox, in Very Simple Words?
Mpox is an illness caused by the monkeypox virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) now uses the name “mpox” for it. It is a viral infection. That means it is caused by a virus, not by bacteria, and antibiotics do not cure it. Most people get better on their own within a few weeks, with rest and care for pain and fever. But some people can become very ill, and young children, pregnant women, and people whose immune system is weak face a higher risk of serious illness. That is why we must take it seriously, without turning it into fear.
You may have heard the word “clade” in some reports. A clade is just a family group of the virus. The WHO has noted that the outbreak in Sindh involves Clade Ib, a strain that spreads more easily between people. I am not writing that to scare you. I am writing it because it explains why health teams are working so hard on tracing contacts and stopping spread early, before one case becomes ten.
What Are the Signs of Mpox?
Please read this part slowly, because knowing the signs early helps you get help early, and it also stops you from mixing mpox up with every small skin problem.
According to the WHO, the most common sign is a rash. The rash may last for two to four weeks. It can look like blisters or sores. It can appear on the face, the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet, the groin, and other parts of the body. The number of sores can be very small, just one, or very many. The rash may start first, or it may come after other signs.
Other common signs are fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen glands in the neck, under the chin, or in the armpits. Some people also get a sore throat. Symptoms usually begin within a week of catching the virus, but they can start as early as one day or as late as 21 days after exposure. Most often, they begin 6 to 13 days after exposure.
Here is the part that confuses many families in Lahore, Karachi, and Peshawar during these hot, dusty months: a rash alone does not mean mpox. Heat rash, chickenpox, allergies, and insect bites can all cause spots on the skin. That is exactly why you should not decide at home from a photo. If you or your child develop an unexplained rash, blisters, or skin sores, especially after close contact with a person who may have mpox, go for a proper medical check at once and tell the doctor about any possible exposure. A PCR test is how doctors confirm mpox. A guess in a WhatsApp group is not a diagnosis.
How Does Mpox Spread?
Mpox spreads mainly through close contact. That is the sentence to remember. It spreads through skin-to-skin contact with a person who has the rash or sores, through contact with their bodily fluids, and through contact with things they have touched, such as clothing, bedding, towels, or needles. It can also spread when you are face to face with a person who has mpox, talking or breathing close together.
It does not spread by simply walking past a person in a bazaar in Saddar or Anarkali. It needs close contact. But in our homes, close contact is normal life. We share towels. We sleep close together in one room when load-shedding makes the rest of the house hot. Children play close, hug, and share beds. That is why the advice is practical, not frightening: when someone in the house is ill, give them space, do not share their towel or bedding, and wash hands often with soap and water.
Anyone can catch mpox. The WHO is clear about this. It is not limited to any one group of people. Anyone who has close contact with a person who has symptoms is at risk. Please do not attach shame to this illness. Shame makes people hide a rash, delay a hospital visit, and quietly spread the virus to the people they love most. A rash is a health problem, not a character problem.
The Hospital Case That Worried Everyone in Karachi
On 21 October, the Sindh Healthcare Commission sealed Ibne Hassan Hospital in Malir 15 in Karachi. The reason, according to the Commission’s statement, was a laboratory-confirmed mpox infection in an infant, which raised concerns about hygiene and infection-control practices at the hospital.
The Commission said the infant was reported to have contracted the infection following a circumcision procedure in which contaminated scissors were allegedly used. It cited poor hygiene, inadequate infection prevention and control measures, and reported malpractice as grounds for its action, and said the hospital was reportedly being run by unqualified staff. I am reporting what the Commission said. I was not there, and I will not add my own guess to it.
But I will say this, as a mother writing to other mothers and fathers: this case is a lesson for all of us, not only for one hospital. When you take your child for any small procedure, a circumcision, an injection, a dressing change, ask questions. Is the instrument new or properly sterilised? Are hands washed? Is the place clean? A good doctor will never be offended by a careful parent. In fact, a good doctor will be glad you asked. Small carelessness with instruments can cause big harm, and this sad case in Malir shows why infection control is not boring paperwork. It is protection for our children.
What Is Being Done?
Health teams in Sindh are tracing contacts of confirmed patients, watching for new cases, and caring for patients at the Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital and Research Centre. The Sindh Health Department has ordered hospitals across the province to set up mpox response centres with 24-hour data desks, according to reports. The WHO delivered mpox vaccines to Khairpur in April 2026, for high-risk groups and healthcare workers.
Let me be honest about what I do not know. There is no public announcement I could verify that says every person in Pakistan can walk into any clinic today and get an mpox vaccine. Vaccines for mpox exist, and the WHO recommends vaccination for people at high risk, but who gets it, and where, is decided by health authorities. If you think you are at high risk, or you have been in close contact with a confirmed case, ask your doctor or your nearest government hospital. Do not pay a stranger on social media who claims to sell the vaccine. Scams grow fast around every health scare, and your money and your health both deserve better.
What Should You Do at Home? Simple, Practical Steps
I will keep this very simple, because simple is what gets done in a busy Pakistani home.
First, wash hands often with soap and water. Teach children to wash hands when they come home from school, before eating, and after using the washroom. Soap and water are cheap, and they work. Second, do not share towels, clothing, or bedding with a person who has a rash or sores. Give the ill person their own towel, their own bedding, and their own space to rest if you can. Third, avoid close physical contact, including hugging and kissing, with a person who has mpox symptoms, until a doctor says it is safe. Fourth, if someone in your home has mpox, tell the people they have been close to recently, so those people can watch for signs and get checked early. That is not gossip. That is care.
If you have mpox, stay at home and follow your doctor’s advice on isolation. The WHO says a person with mpox should stay away from others until all the sores have crusted over, the scabs have fallen off, and a new layer of skin has formed underneath. Cover sores and wear a well-fitting mask when you must be around other people. And please, do not scratch sores open, do not try home totkay that break the skin, and do not cover a rash with strong creams without medical advice. A broken sore can get a second infection from bacteria, and that can make a simple illness much worse.
One more thing, and I say it with love: do not forward every frightening voice note about mpox. Before you forward, ask one question. Who said it? A doctor? The health department? The WHO? Or a stranger with a loud voice? If you cannot answer that question, do not forward it. Fear spreads faster than any virus, and our children hear our fear before they hear our words.
When Should You Go to Hospital at Once?
Go for medical care at once if a rash is spreading fast, if sores are in the mouth or eyes, if there is trouble passing urine, severe pain, difficulty breathing, or if the ill person is a small child, pregnant, or has a weak immune system. Do not wait for the rash to “settle on its own” in these cases. Early care helps, and hospitals in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Peshawar are used to handling infectious illnesses. Tell the hospital staff at the gate that you suspect mpox, so they can guide you safely and protect other patients. That is not something to feel shy about. It is the responsible thing to do.
Questions Families Keep Asking Me
These are the questions I hear again and again, in simple words, with honest answers from the WHO and the provincial reports I read for this article.
The most common symptom is a rash that can look like blisters or sores and may last two to four weeks. Fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen glands often come with it. Symptoms usually start 6 to 13 days after exposure, but can start up to 21 days later. A rash alone does not prove mpox, so get a medical check and a PCR test for a real answer.
Sindh has reported 98 confirmed cases and 12 deaths in 2026, according to provincial health data reported on 24 October 2026. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported 18 cases and one death, with Peshawar recording five cases. These are reported figures from provincial health departments, and they change as new cases are confirmed.
Mpox spreads mainly through close contact: skin-to-skin contact with sores, contact with bodily fluids, and contact with contaminated clothing, bedding, towels, or needles. It can also spread face to face. It does not spread by walking past someone. Anyone who has close contact with a person who has symptoms is at risk.
Most people recover within a few weeks with supportive care for pain and fever. There is no home cure. Mpox vaccines exist and the WHO recommends them for people at high risk, and vaccines were delivered to Khairpur in April 2026 for high-risk groups and healthcare workers. Ask your doctor or government hospital who can get vaccinated and where, and do not buy vaccines from social media sellers.
Do not guess from a photo. Take your child for a medical check, tell the doctor about any close contact with a suspected case, and keep the child away from close contact with others until a doctor advises. Wash hands often, do not share towels or bedding, and go to hospital at once if the child is very young, the rash spreads fast, or sores affect the mouth or eyes.
Dear readers, I will end with this. Ninety-eight cases in a province of millions is not a reason to panic. But twelve deaths, including tiny children, is a reason to pay attention. Pay attention with clean hands, honest questions at the clinic, and kindness to any family facing this illness. Check on your neighbours. Share only true information. And if you see a rash you do not understand, please, go to a doctor early. Early is always better than sorry.
Take care of yourselves and your little ones. If you have questions, please ask me through our Contact Us page. I read your messages, and I will try to answer with the same care I would want for my own family. Take care.
