The first MPOX case since December 2023 has been identified in the Philippines, the patient has no travel history

MANILA, Aug 19 – A new case of Mpox infection has been detected in the Philippines, the first since December last year, the Department of Health said today.

Philippine news portal ABS-CBN reported that the patient is a 33-year-old Filipino man “who has never left the Philippines but had close, intimate contact three weeks before symptom onset.”

The case, reported to the department yesterday, is the tenth confirmed Mpox case in the country.

It was reported that the patient's symptoms began with fever more than a week ago.

Four days later, he developed a noticeable rash on his face, back, neck, torso and groin, as well as on the palms of his hands and soles of his feet, the report said.

The last Mpox case in the Philippines was detected in December 2023, but all have recovered.

Last week, the World Health Organization declared the rise in MPOX in Africa a global public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).

Concerned about the increase in cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the spread to neighboring countries, the WHO hastily convened a meeting of experts to investigate the outbreak.

PHEIC is the highest alert level under the International Health Regulations, which are legally binding for 196 countries.

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is an infectious disease caused by a virus that is transmitted from infected animals to humans, but can also be transmitted from person to person through close physical contact.