The first case of mpox (also known as monkeypox) has been confirmed in the Philippines, following its declaration as a global public health emergency on Wednesday, according to the Department of Health (DOH). This new case is the first since the last case reported in December 2023, bringing the total to 10 laboratory-confirmed mpox cases reported to the DOH as of Sunday. The patient is a 33-year-old male Filipino from Metro Manila with no travel history outside the country but with “close and intimate contact” prior to the onset of symptoms, accodring to the DOH.
The DOH suggested that the patient may have contracted the mpox virus locally. “Yung virus ay nandirito sa Pilipinas. We have 9 cases in 2023, pero pakonti-konti ang nate-test natin so that means the mpox virus is among us, so hind siya imported nandidito siya (The virus is here in the Philippines.
We had 9 cases in 2023, but we have been testing only a few, which means the mpox virus is present among us locally),” Teodoro J. Herbosa, Secretary of DOH said during the Media Forum on Monday. The patient’s mpox symptoms began over a week ago with fever, followed four days later by a distinctive rash on the face, back, neck, trunk, groin, and on the palms and soles.
By testing the skin lesions collected from the patient, positive results for monkeypox viral DNA were found via a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. Mr. Herbosa said that the patient is currently isolated, and they are conducting contac.