A 33-year-old male patient from Manila, Philippines has tested positive for the mpox virus, marking the first case in the country since December. This information was confirmed by health officials who noted that the patient did not have a history of foreign travel, indicating that the virus is already present in the Philippines. The case was detected through enhanced surveillance following the global outbreak of the virus reported by the World Health Organization. The patient experienced fever before developing a ‘distinct’ skin rash, with health officials awaiting test results to determine the specific strain of the virus.
The newly discovered strain of the mpox virus has raised global concern due to its ease of spread through close contact. The WHO has declared mpox a global public health emergency and Sweden has reported its first case of the more dangerous clade I variant outside of Africa. Pakistan has also confirmed at least one case of the virus in a patient returning from the Middle East.
Despite the detection of five suspected cases in the last week, only the 33-year-old male patient has tested positive for the mpox virus in the Philippines. Health officials are updating guidelines to encourage those with symptoms to seek consultation and testing. Health Secretary Teddy Herbosa assured the public that the health system is prepared to handle the situation and will continue to keep the public informed about the virus.
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