TEHRAN – There are no reports of monkey-pox (mpox) in the country, an official with the health ministry has announced.

Mpox is an infectious disease caused by the mpox virus. It can cause a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes, and fever. Most people fully recover, but some get very sick.

Following the report of confirmed cases of monkey-pox in Pakistan, medical teams at health stations are told to screen travelers entering the country from eastern and western borders for monkey-pox symptoms, as well, IRNA quoted Babak Eshrati as saying.

Referring to the previous wave of the disease, which was about two years ago, he said only one case of monkey-pox had been reported, which was related to a patient who had traveled to the country.

Mpox initial symptoms include fever, muscle aches, and sore throat. The mpox rash begins on the face and spreads over the body, extending to the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, and evolves over 2-4 weeks in stages – macules, papules, vesicles, pustules.