DOH Reports First Mpox Case in the Philippines for 2024

(SPOT.ph) A new case of mpox has been confirmed in the Philippines said the Department of Health (DOH) on Monday. Recorded on August 18, this is the first local case this year—and comes a few days after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a global emergency.
Before this, the last recorded mpox case in the Philippines occured in December 2023, with all previously affected individuals having fully recovered. The new case brings the country's total to 10 cases in history.
"The case is a 33-year-old male Filipino national with no recent travel history outside the Philippines, but with close, intimate contact three weeks before symptoms began," the DOH stated.
The health agency added: "His symptoms began over a week ago with a fever, and four days later, a distinctive rash appeared on his face, back, nape, trunk, groin, and on the palms and soles of his feet."
After developing symptoms, the patient was admitted to a government hospital where skin lesion samples were collected and analyzed using a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.
"PCR test results are positive for Monkeypox viral DNA," the DOH confirmed.

Also read: Everything You Need to Know About Monkeypox

What is Mpox?

Mpox, formerly called monkeypox, is a viral disease that can spread between people and infected animals, particularly mammals.

Mpox is divided into two primary genetic clades: Clade I and Clade II. While Clade II triggered the 2022 global outbreak of mpox, the more deadly Clade 1b is currently causing concerns. The mutation was first detected in September last year.

Clade 1b is currently believed to be transmitted primarily through sexual activity, but there is evidence that this strain can also spread through close skin-to-skin contact.

A global public health emergency

On August 15, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a global public health emergency—the highest level of alert under international health law. This is the second occurrence of such a declaration within two years.

This decision comes amid rising concerns over Clade 1b, which has spread to new countries in Africa that were previously unaffected, namely Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.

Since the start of the year, over 17,000 mpox cases and more than 500 deaths have been reported across 13 African countries, as per Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Democratic Republic of Congo has seen the majority of cases, with over 14,000 reported this month alone.

Initially confined to Central and West Africa, mpox spread to Europe and North America in 2022. 

Mpox Symptoms

The symptoms for mpox include skin rash or mucosal lesions, accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes, cites WHO.

WHO Guidelines for Mpox Self-Care and Prevention

To Do:

  • Stay home and isolate in your own room if possible.
  • Wash hands frequently with soap or hand sanitizer, especially before and after touching sores.
  • Wear a mask and cover lesions when around others until the rash heals.
  • Keep skin dry and uncovered unless in a shared room.
  • Avoid touching shared items and frequently disinfect shared spaces.
  • Use saltwater rinses for oral sores.
  • Take sitz baths or warm baths with baking soda for body sores.
  • Use over-the-counter pain relievers like paracetamol or ibuprofen.

If you have skin rash or lesions, however:

Do Not:

  • Pop blisters or scratch sores, as this can hinder healing, spread the rash, or cause infection.
  • Shave areas with sores until scabs have healed and new skin has formed.
  • Although using condoms during sex can reduce the risk, it does not prevent transmission through skin-to-skin or mouth-to-skin contact. Therefore, avoiding sex with a suspected mpox victim is the most effective approach.

Note that there are mpox vaccines, including MVA-BN, LC16, and OrthopoxVac, which are approved for prevention and are based on smallpox vaccines. However, the WHO currently recommends these vaccines only for high-risk individuals and not for mass vaccination.