Karachi: A two-month-old infant from Karachi’s Malir district has died of Mpox at the Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital and Research Centre (SIDHRC) in NIPA, raising the death toll from the viral disease in Sindh to 12 this year, health officials confirmed on Saturday.
Hospital officials said the infant was brought to the infectious diseases facility from a private hospital in critical condition and remained under treatment for 12 days before succumbing to the disease.
According to hospital officials, the child was admitted on the 42nd day after birth and died at the age of 54 days, making the infant one of the youngest reported victims of Mpox in the province.
Officials said the child had reportedly undergone circumcision at a private healthcare facility around 20 days before death. Following concerns over infection prevention and control practices at the facility, a team from the Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHCC) inspected and subsequently sealed the hospital.
However, officials have not established whether the child contracted the infection during the procedure or through another source, and the circumstances surrounding transmission remain unclear.
The latest death comes amid a rise in Mpox cases across Sindh, where 98 infections and 12 deaths have been reported so far this year.
According to figures compiled by the Sindh Health Department, seven additional Mpox cases were reported during the preceding week, raising concerns over the continued transmission of the viral disease in different parts of the province.
District-wise data showed that Karachi reported 26 cases, followed by Khairpur with 22, Sukkur with nine and Hyderabad with five cases. Ghotki, Kashmore and Shaheed Benazirabad reported three cases each, while the remaining infections were reported from other districts of Sindh.
An age-wise analysis of the available data showed that people aged between 30 and 39 years accounted for the highest number of infections, with 28 cases, followed by 20 cases among those aged 20 to 29 years.
Another 14 cases were reported among people aged 40 to 49 years, while seven infections were recorded in the 50 to 59 age group. Nine children below the age of 10 years and six adolescents aged 10 to 19 years were also diagnosed with Mpox, while one case was reported among people aged 60 years.
The available figures showed that men accounted for 73 percent of the reported infections, while women constituted 27 percent.
Health officials said the provincial health department had intensified surveillance, contact tracing and case management in response to the continued reporting of Mpox infections.
Public and private healthcare facilities have also been directed to strengthen infection prevention and control measures, particularly while examining and treating patients with suspected or confirmed Mpox.
Mpox is a viral disease that can spread through close physical contact with infected individuals, including contact with skin lesions, bodily fluids and contaminated materials such as bedding, towels and clothing.
The disease can cause fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes and a characteristic skin rash that may develop into fluid-filled lesions. Although many patients recover with supportive treatment, severe complications can occur, particularly among newborns, young children and people with weakened immune systems.
Health officials have advised people to avoid direct contact with individuals showing unusual skin rashes or blisters, maintain proper hand hygiene and refrain from sharing personal belongings with suspected or confirmed patients.
They have also urged people developing symptoms suggestive of Mpox to seek medical attention without delay, particularly those who have recently been in close contact with an infected person.
The death of the infant has also raised concerns over infection prevention and control practices at private healthcare facilities, particularly those performing minor surgical procedures on newborns and young children.