THE country’s active cases of mpox have increased to eight following the detection of three new cases, the Department of Health (DOH) said Sunday, September 1, 2024.
In a statement, the DOH said the two new mpox cases, ages 29 and 34, were both from Metro Manila while the other, 29 years old, was from Calabarzon.
Two of the new cases had anonymous sexual encounters with more than one partner, while the other had close, skin-to-skin sexual contact with another person who had skin symptoms.
It said the three, just like two other cases, tested positive of MPXV clade II, which is a milder form of the mpox virus.
They were all exhibiting symptoms such as rashes or vesicles on the face, thorax, arms, legs, and soles, headache, muscle pain, and swollen neck lymph nodes.
They are all under home isolation.
Since July 2022, the country has a total of 17 mpox cases, eight remain active.
The DOH said the mpox virus is transmitted through close and intimate contact with someone who is infectious, through contaminated materials like used clothes or utensils, or through infected animals.
The DOH advised the public to use soap and water to kill the virus, and to use gloves when washing contaminated materials. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)