Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 22) — Health authorities detected another case of monkeypox on Monday, bringing the total infections to four.
In a statement, the Department of Health (DOH) said the fourth case has no travel history to countries with confirmed cases.
The 25-year-old patient is in an isolation facility.
The agency said it identified 14 close contacts, including six in isolation, one taking care of the patient, and a health care worker on self-monitoring.
Contact tracing is ongoing, the DOH said.
“All four confirmed monkeypox cases in the Philippines are unrelated to each other,” it added.
The first case already recovered and has been out of isolation since Aug. 6. The second and third cases remain in home isolation.
The World Health Organization declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern.
It is a less severe cousin of smallpox that can be transmitted between humans through close contact with an infected individual’s body fluids, sores, or contaminated items, health authorities said.
Symptoms include fever, swollen lymph nodes, and rashes that can turn into lesions. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said lesions could resolve over a period of two to three weeks.
