Philippines detects first mpox case since start of 2024, yet to determine strain

The Philippines has reported a new case of mpox (monkeypox), the first detected in the country since December 2023. The Department of Health (DOH) announced on August 19 that the patient is a 33-year-old Filipino male with no recent travel history outside the Philippines. The health department is currently awaiting sequencing results to determine the specific strain of the virus, according to spokesperson Albert Domingo.

This case marks the 10th laboratory-confirmed mpox case in the Philippines, with the first case recorded in July 2022. The patient exhibited symptoms starting over a week ago, beginning with a fever, followed by the appearance of a distinct rash on various parts of the body, including the face, back, nape, trunk, groin, palms, and soles.

Mpox typically presents with flu-like symptoms and pus-filled skin lesions. While the disease is generally mild, it can be more severe and potentially fatal for children, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems, such as those living with HIV, who are at a higher risk of complications.

This development in the Philippines comes shortly after Pakistan confirmed a case of mpox on August 16 in a patient who had recently returned from a Gulf country. The strain of the virus in that case has also not yet been identified.