FILE PHOTO: This undated image provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases shows a colorized transmission electron micrograph of monkeypox particles (red) found within an infected cell (blue), cultured in the laboratory that was captured and color-enhanced at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility in Fort Detrick, Maryland. (NIAID via Associated Press, File)
MANILA, Philippines — Two more cases of mpox (formerly monkeypox) were reported in the country, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Monday.
The DOH said the new cases were detected in Metro Manila. A 37-year-old male and a 32-year-old male have MPXV Clade II, the milder form of the mpox virus.
On Aug. 20, the 37-year-old patient saw “a distinct rash began on his face, arms, legs, thorax, palms, and soles,” the DOH said.
The 32-year-old patient “noticed skin lesions (clear, fluid-filled vesicles) at his groin area” on Aug. 14, and “a few days later, fever started,” the agency added.
They “admitted to close, intimate, and skin-to-skin contact” before the appearance of their symptoms.
The 37-year-old patient remains at a government hospital, while the 32-year-old patient is staying at home to recuperate.
In total, there have been 12 mpox cases in the country since July 2022, according to the DOH.
The first mpox case for 2024 was reported last August 18. Before this, the country’s last recorded mpox case was in December 2023.
READ: 1st mpox case in the Philippines for 2024 detected – DOH
Nine cases have recovered since 2023, while the three latest cases have still yet to be cleared.
No deaths due to mpox have been reported so far.
Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) again declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern—the highest alert—after the surge of cases in African countries.
The WHO lifted the public health emergency of international concern tag on mpox last year, with the DOH saying that it meant that the “world is on its road to recovery.”
READ: DOH: World is on road to recovery as WHO lifts health emergency for monkeypox