ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - Health authorities in Sindh said on Saturday four of seven newborn babies who tested positive for Mpox in Khairpur district last month had died, prompting officials to shut hospital facilities and intensify containment measures.
“During the investigation, Mpox was confirmed in four out of the seven children,” the provincial health department said in a statement. “However, according to medical experts’ review, these deaths did not occur directly due to Mpox.”
The statement said the deceased infants were “extremely weak by birth, with pre-existing complications such as low weight, premature birth (prematurity) and malnutrition.”
The cases first came to light on March 14 when unusual skin rashes were reported among children in Khairpur. Subsequent testing conducted by laboratories at Dow University and Aga Khan University confirmed the virus in seven newborns.
To contain the spread, provincial authorities have temporarily closed the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Khairpur Medical College Hospital and a unit at a private hospital.
On the instructions of Provincial Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, a team of medical experts has identified the “index case” and the likely source of the virus in the affected areas.
“Contact tracing and surveillance have been intensified in District Khairpur and surrounding areas,” the spokesperson said, adding that Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) protocols are now being enforced across all hospitals.
On Mar. 24, Dr. Waqar Memon, the Director General of Health Services for Sindh, issued a letter to Khairpur district officers identifying the cluster as a bacterial infection.
Local medical sources noted that a “wrong diagnosis” at a private facility led to worsening conditions before the provincial health department was finally alerted.
In response to the laboratory confirmation, Dr. Memon enforced an emergency in pediatric units across government hospitals in interior Sindh and appointed a focal person for the disease. The department also sought urgent support from the Aga Khan University (AKU) laboratory for priority testing.