An outbreak of monkeypox has been confirmed among children in Khairpur district of Sindh.
According to the initial report, the Sindh Public Health Laboratory confirmed monkeypox in three children on Saturday. The outbreak among children in Khairpur has been ongoing for the past 12 days.
Surprisingly, the Director General Health Sindh had earlier written a letter on March 24 to district officials in Khairpur regarding a skin disease among children instead of a monkeypox outbreak, in which it was described as a bacterial skin condition. However, when samples taken from the affected children were tested at the Sindh Public Health Laboratory located in Ojha, Karachi, monkeypox was confirmed in three young children.
Monkeypox can easily spread from one child to another, raising concerns that the disease may spread further. The affected children are less than one year old.
Last month in Khairpur district, when chickenpox like rashes appeared on the bodies of children, they were taken to a private hospital in Khairpur where they were misdiagnosed and treatment continued. However, as the children’s condition worsened, district health officials were informed.
As the condition of most children became critical, the Director General Health Sindh was notified. However, instead of making a correct diagnosis, the Director General termed it a skin disease and issued instructions through a letter on March 24 to the relevant district health officers to take measures to control the skin condition.
But as the children’s condition remained critical, samples from their rashes were sent to the Sindh Public Health Laboratory at Dow University Ojha Campus in Karachi, where monkeypox was confirmed in these children on Saturday, April 4.
Following this situation, concerns have arisen about the spread of a monkeypox outbreak in Khairpur district.
