Philippines confirms two new mpox cases of milder variant

MANILA – The Philippines has confirmed two more mpox virus infections of the milder clade II variety, its health ministry said on Aug 26, taking the number of active cases to three.

“We continue to see local transmission of mpox clade II here in the Philippines, in Metro Manila, in particular,” said Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa in a statement.

The newly confirmed cases are a 37-year-old male in Metro Manila who had a rash on his body last week and was taken to a government hospital, and a 32-year-old male from the capital who had skin lesions on his body.

The Philippines announced last week that it had

detected a case of the mpox virus’ milder variant

in a 33-year-old male who had no travel history outside the country.

The three cases in 2024 mean the Philippines has had 12 laboratory-confirmed cases since July 2022.

The World Health Organisation earlier in August

declared mpox a global public health emergency

– its highest form of alert – for the second time in two years, because of an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that had spread to neighbouring countries.

A new form of the virus has triggered global concern as it seems to spread easily though routine close contact.

The disease, caused by the monkeypox virus, leads to flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. It is usually mild but can kill, with children, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems, such as those with the human immunodeficiency virus, at higher risk of complications.
REUTERS