Philippines Detects 10th Mpox Case, Patient Has No History of Travel
August 20, 2024
On August 18, the Philippine Department of Health (DOH) announced the country’s 10th case of mpox (previously known as ‘monkeypox’). The case is reportedly a 33-year-old Filipino male with a recent close intimate contact with someone, but no history of foreign history prior to onset of symptoms.
In a press briefing, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa noted that the 10th case is proof that the “[mpox] virus is already here in the Philippines.” Discussions of a possible local transmission of the disease began as early as August 2022, when the 4th case of mpox was detected. Similar to the 10th case, the 4th case had no recent travel history prior to symptom onset.
While DOH did not make any statements indicating any travel restrictions in the horizon, the department vowed to “make the testing process as convenient as possible.” Secretary Herbosa does not see the need for dedicated isolation facilities for mpox patients, explaining that that home isolation with supportive care is enough for most patients. Nonetheless, he reminded the public to regularly wash their hands as “soap and water will kill the [mpox] virus.”
The Philippines has yet to record a fatality from mpox, with nine out of the 10 confirmed cases having fully recovered from the disease.
WHO Declares ‘Global Health Emergency’ for Mpox for the 2nd Time
Just last week, on August 14, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency for mpox following the outbreak of the disease in the African continent. This is the second declaration of a global health emergency for mpox, with the first declaration made from July 2022 to May 2023.
As of this current time, 13 African countries have recorded a combined total of 14,000 cases and 524 deaths, with Congo accounting for 96 percent of the cases. A new strain of the mpox virus, called clade I, is allegedly responsible for this recent outbreak of the disease. Scientists note that clade I causes milder symptoms, making the disease more difficult to spot.
Is Mpox the Next Pandemic?
PSA continues to believe that Monkeypox does not have the capacity to be as disruptive as COVID-19 because:
- Mpox is not as transmissible as COVID-19 as COVID-19 is a disease caused by a respiratory virus. Mpox is typically transmitted via physical contact with an infected person.
- Clinical symptoms of Mpox are more obvious than COVID-19, and thus detection is easier. The most common clinical symptom of Mpox is the appearance of lesions all over the body.
- Vaccines are already available. The Smallpox vaccine can be used to immunize people against Mpox. However, vaccines for Smallpox are very limited in the Philippines.
The public health challenge for Mpox is to get vulnerable communities education, testing, treatment, and eventually vaccines so that the virus does not become more widespread. The private sector may have a role to play in this, particularly in the education of staff. PSA notes that some companies, particularly in the IT-BPO industry, are proficient at educating staff on dangers of HIV and how it is transmitted from person to person. Similar lessons learned from that experience can be applied to raising awareness about Mpox.
