The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday confirmed two new cases of mpox in Metro Manila.
This brings the number of active cases in the country to three and the total case count since 2022 to 12.
Both of the new cases were infected by Clade II, a milder form of the virus.
The patients are males aged 32 and 37 who had close, intimate, skin-to-skin contact.
“We continue to see local transmission of mpox Clade II here in the Philippines, in Metro Manila in particular,” Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said.
“Mpox moves from skin-to-skin, both during sexual encounters and also other intimate forms of skin contact. It is not airborne,” he added.
Meanwhile, officials in Northern Samar said the province recorded its first case of suspected mpox at a state-run hospital on Sunday.
The case involved a 24-year-old male, who is showing a two-week history of fever, body weakness, and vesicular rashes. According to the Northern Samar Provincial Health Office, the patient has no travel history.
In Iloilo City, the Department of Health (DOH) Western Visayas Center for Health and Development has stepped up its surveillance efforts for Mpox.
Dr. Bea Natalaray, Medical Officer IV and head of Emerging and Re-Emerging Infectious Diseases at DOH Western Visayas, assured the public of the agency’s preparedness. She noted various measures are already in place across the region’s surveillance units.
“Surveillance is crucial, and our Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit consistently reminds the provincial and municipal levels to immediately send specimens from patients exhibiting symptoms or suspected Mpox cases to our regional office,” she said.
“From there, we facilitate further testing at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM),” she added.
Natalaray also emphasized the importance of monitoring all health facilities, including district hospitals and clinics, to quickly identify and manage both confirmed and suspected cases.
She urged families and caregivers to be vigilant in recognizing Mpox symptoms and called on all health facilities to promptly report individuals showing Mpox-like rashes or confirmed cases and to collect samples for laboratory testing.
Currently, there is no specific treatment for Mpox, and antiviral therapies are still pending approval by the Food and Drug Administration. With Caloy Lozada and Ronald O. Reyes
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Metro Manila logs 2 more mpox cases”
