On Monday, the Philippines confirmed its first case of mpox this year, with health officials still determining whether it is linked to the concerning new variant currently causing global alarm.
The more dangerous and transmissible strain, known as Clade 1b, has claimed hundreds of lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has recently surfaced in Sweden and Pakistan.
Last week, the World Health Organization raised the alarm by declaring the global mpox surge a public health emergency of international concern, its most urgent level of alert.
The infected individual, a 33-year-old Filipino man, had not traveled abroad, according to a statement from the Department of Health. His case was reported by a government hospital on Sunday.
Health authorities are awaiting sequencing results to determine if the case involves the Clade 1b variant.
The department detailed that the man first experienced symptoms over a week ago, beginning with a fever. Four days later, he developed a distinct rash on various parts of his body, including his face, back, neck, trunk, groin, as well as on his palms and soles.
Test results confirmed the presence of Monkeypox viral DNA in specimens collected from his skin lesions.
This marks the tenth laboratory-confirmed mpox case reported in the Philippines, with the last case recorded in December of the previous year.
In response to this new case, the health department is updating its mpox guidelines, urging individuals who show symptoms to seek medical consultation and testing.
“Our health system is prepared. We can manage this situation and will keep the public informed,” assured Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa in the statement.
