Philippines detects 1st mpox case with no travel history

New Delhi, Aug 19: Amid the latest global Mpox spread, a 33-year-old man with no travel history has become the first lab-confirmed case with the infectious disease in the Philippines, according to the country’s Health Ministry on Monday.

The country’s Department of Health (DOH) was informed of the man on Sunday. His specimens were collected from the skin lesions, and a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test confirmed the Mpox virus.

The man reportedly had close, intimate contact three weeks before the onset of Mpox symptoms, and his symptoms started more than a week ago with fever.

Four days later, the man had a rash on the face, back, nape, trunk, groin, as well as palms and soles, the DOH said.

The new case takes the total tally of lab-confirmed Mpox cases in the Philippines to 10. The last case was found in December 2023.

The DOH noted that all previous cases were isolated, and have also recovered from the infection.

Last week, the World Health Organisation declared a global health emergency for Mpox, after infections spread across 13 African countries, including Congo, where 14,000 cases and 524 deaths have been reported.

The current outbreak is being caused by Clade 1b, which is more virulent and deadly.

Outside of Africa, Sweden has reported the first case of Mpox infections caused by Clade 1b. Meanwhile, Pakistan has also reported 3 cases of people with a travel history, however, the Clade is not known yet.

The WHO defines Mpox as a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus -- a species of the genus Orthopoxvirus. It can be transmitted to humans through physical contact with someone infectious, with contaminated materials, or with infected animals.

The common symptoms include skin rash or mucosal lesions, which can last 2 to 4 weeks. These are typically followed by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes, which resolve independently. However, in some cases, it can turn fatal.