The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday announced that a new mpox (formerly monkeypox) case has been detected in the Philippines, bringing the total caseload to 10.
Reported to the DOH on August 18, 2024, it was the first mpox case detected in the country this year, the last case being in December 2023.
“The case is a 33 year old male Filipino national with no travel history outside the Philippines but with close, intimate contact three weeks before symptom onset,” the DOH said.
His symptoms started more than a week ago with fever, which was followed four days later by findings of a distinct rash on the face, back, nape, trunk, groin, as well as palms and soles.
The patient was brought to a government hospital where specimens were collected from the skin lesions and tested via real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.
“PCR test results are positive for Monkeypox viral DNA,” the DOH said.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), symptoms of mpox include skin rash or mucosal lesions, accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.
The WHO in July 2022 declared mpox as a public health emergency of international concern. It put an end to the mpox emergency in May 2023. —KBK, GMA Integrated News
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