Metro Manila, Philippines — The first case of mpox in the country this year is of the “milder” type from previous infections, the Department of Health (DOH) confirmed Wednesday, Aug. 21.
READ: PH confirms first mpox case this year
The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine reported to the DOH on Wednesday the sequencing results of the sample of a 33-year-old male from Metro Manila who tested positive for the virus.
Mpox causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions and can be fatal.
“We found the milder MPXV clade II in the 10th mpox case in the Philippines,” Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said in a statement. “Let us continue to be alert but not alarmed, preventing mpox spread by avoiding close and intimate physical contact.”
“Clean your hands often with soap and water or alcohol-based sanitizers. Avoid skin-to-skin contact,” Herbosa advised the public.
According to the DOH, clade I is more likely to cause severe illness and death, especially in the immunocompromised.
The World Health Organization on Aug. 14 declared a public health emergency for mpox after an outbreak caused by the new strain, clade Ib, currently spreading throughout Africa.
This was the 10th case for the Philippines. The last recorded infection was in December 2023.
The previous nine cases, also caused by clade II, already recovered, health officials said.
On Sunday, the DOH got the PCR test result of the Filipino national, who consulted a dermatologist in Quezon City on Aug. 15. The patient did not have a travel history outside of the country.
On Monday, the agency announced he tested positive for mpox.
According to the DOH, the patient’s symptoms “started more than a week ago with fever, which was followed four days later by findings of a distinct rash on the face, back, nape, trunk, groin, as well as palms and soles.”
By Wednesday, the Quezon City government said it identified 41 close contacts after its investigation found that the Filipino national visited a massage spa four days before his consultation. Of the number, 28 individuals including the masseur and his clients, are under self-quarantine.
