ISLAMABAD: Health experts on Monday advised health authorities to stay vigilant against monkeypox and raise media awareness to prevent the outbreak of the virus in the country. Talking to a private news channel, Dr. Abid Qaiyum Suleri said that monkeypox is an infectious disease that is usually mild and is endemic in parts of the west and central Africa. “The virus can be transmitted through contact with skin lesions or droplets from a contaminated person, as well as through shared items such as bedding or towels”, he highlighted. He said the symptoms of monkeypox are similar to smallpox including fever, headache, muscle ache, fatigue, and skin bumps like chickenpox on the hands and face. He advised all healthcare facilities and all healthcare providers in the provinces to report suspected monkeypox cases timely, adding, that people should avoid shaking hands and should not share their towels and bed with anyone. Another Khawaja Salman Rafiq said that Airport authorities should have to be extra vigilant while collecting the 21-day travel history of passengers coming from other countries with monkeypox cases and checking their current health status. He made it clear that the information circulating on social media about the monkeypox case in Pakistan is incorrect as health authorities of Pakistan was closely monitoring the situation and as per reports of the National Institute of Health, no case of monkeypox has yet been diagnosed in Pakistan so far.