DOH: Year’s 1st mpox patient contracted the less severe form

DOH: Year’s 1st mpox patient contracted the less severe form

/ 10:20 PM August 21, 2024

DOH logo with closeup of hand with monkeypox symptoms.

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s first mpox (formerly monkeypox) patient this year has contracted the milder form of the virus, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Wednesday.

“The DOH Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) reported today to Health Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa that sequencing of the Monkeypox virus (MPXV) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sample from the 10th mpox case of the Philippines showed it to be of MPXV Clade II,” the department said in a statement.

Article continues after this advertisement

READ: New mpox case recorded in Metro Manila, says DOH chief

FEATURED STORIES

The MPXV clade II has been observed mainly in West Africa, and it has a mortality rate of less than 1 percent to 4 percent, the DOH said.

“Recent cases of mpox detected in the Philippines thus far are by MPXV clade II, with zero deaths,” it added.

Article continues after this advertisement

READ: Quezon City contact tracing first mpox patient – Belmonte

Article continues after this advertisement

MPXV clade I, on the other hand, has been described in the 1980s as having a mortality rate ranging from 1 percent to 10 percent.

Article continues after this advertisement

The DOH said it has been observed mainly in the Congo basin (central Africa) and is “more likely to cause severe illness and death, especially in the immunocompromised.”

The first case of mpox for this year and the 10th for the country is a 33-year-old male from Metro Manila.

Nine mpox cases were reported by Philippine authorities in 2022 and 2023.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

TAGS: DoH, mpox

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.