ISLAMABAD, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- A 53-day-old infant died of mpox in Pakistan's southern Sindh province on Saturday, raising the death toll from the disease in the province to 12 this year, health officials said.
The infant, a resident of Karachi's Malir district, was transferred to the Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital and Research Center (SIDH&RC) after developing symptoms following a circumcision procedure at a private hospital, the facility's medical superintendent, Abdul Wahid Rajput, told local media.
Rajput confirmed that mpox was the cause of death.
The Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHCC) has sealed Ibn-e-Hassan Hospital in Malir, where the procedure was performed, after an investigation found inadequate infection prevention and control measures, poor hygiene and unqualified staff, according to an official statement.
The commission said the infant contracted the virus through contaminated scissors used during the procedure. Laboratory testing confirmed the infection.
Separately, the Sindh health department reported two more mpox cases on Friday, bringing the provincial tally to 98. Authorities have stepped up surveillance, contact tracing and infection-control measures to curb the spread of the virus.
Mpox can spread through close physical contact with infected people and contaminated items. Symptoms include fever, body aches, swollen lymph nodes and skin rashes or blisters. ■
