Tacloban City health officials said it recorded its first case of suspected Mpox (formerly monkeypox) at a gov’t-run hospital in northern Samar yesterday.
The case involved a 24-year-old male who has been suffering from fever, body weakness, and vesicular rashes in the past two weeks.
“He is currently receiving care at Northern Samar Provincial Hospital, where he is isolated and undergoing confirmatory testing for Monkeypox,” the Northern Samar provincial health office said in a statement.
It said that the patient has no travel history.
Contract tracing efforts have also been launched by the Catarman Municipal Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit (MESU).
“Rest assured, our surveillance systems are fully operational, allowing us to closely monitor the situation and safeguard our community from potential health risks,” the provincial health office added.
This is the second case of mpox to be reported this year in the country. The Quezon City public health office disclosed the first case of mpox last week.
The Department of Health (DOH)-Eastern Visayas earlier urged the public to “protect yourself and the whole family against disease and misinformation.”
“Following intensified surveillance due to the World Health Organization’s declaration of mpox (formerly monkeypox) as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), the DOH recorded a new case of mpox in the Philippines. Prior to this, the last case was reported in December 2023,” it said.
“All previous cases were isolated, contained, and recovered from the disease,” it added.
Mpox is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus.
The disease can cause a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fever.
However, most people fully recover, but some get very sick, according to WHO.
The disease can be transmitted to humans through physical contact with someone who is infectious, with contaminated materials, or with infected animals.
