Mpox: Most cases infected thru sex

BE INFORMED The Department of Health has issued through its website infographics about mpox symptoms for use in social media. —DOH

MANILA, Philippines — Health experts are urging Filipinos to avoid having sexual encounters with multiple partners as monkeypox or mpox cases continue to rise, with six out of the eight active cases admitting they contracted the viral disease through these intimate engagements.

Social distancing in public places, however, is not recommended as authorities maintained that mpox virus is not airborne, unlike COVID-19.

The Department of Health (DOH) on Sunday reported three more patients of mpox in the country, bringing to 17 the total number of cases since 2022.

READ: DOH records 3 new victims of mpox, bringing total number of cases to 17

Similar to all the 14 previous cases, the three newest patients have the “milder” Clade II of the monkeypox virus—and not the deadlier Clades Ia and Ib, which are causing the upsurge of cases in Africa.

The country currently has eight active cases, all of which were recorded in the past two weeks.

“Cases 15 and 16 had anonymous sexual encounters with more than one partner, while Case 17 had close, skin to skin sexual contact with another person who had skin symptoms,” the DOH reported. All of them had no travel history 21 days before the start of their symptoms.

Mpox Case 15 is a 25-year-old male from the National Capital Region (NCR) whose symptoms started Aug. 21.

He had rashes on his upper lip, arm and anal area. He also had swollen neck lymph nodes, sore throat, muscle pain and weakness. A day later he started having a fever.

“He disclosed that before symptom onset, he had anonymous sexual encounters,” the DOH said.

Mpox Case 16 is a 36-year-old male also from NCR, whose symptoms started on Aug. 27.

He had rashes and blisters over his arms, genital and anal areas. He also had a cough, fatigue and swollen lymph nodes in his groin area.

“He disclosed that before symptoms started, he did have sexual contact with three partners,” the DOH said.

Meanwhile, mpox Case 17 is a 29-year-old from Calabarzon, who started having fever on Aug. 19. He eventually developed rashes (vesicles) on his face, thorax, arms, legs and soles. He also had headache, muscle pain and swollen neck lymph nodes.

“[H]e had close intimate contact with one sexual partner who may have had the same skin symptoms,” the DOH said.

“Better and wider risk communication is working, and so is improved access to consultation and testing. Anyone can get mpox, but it is crystal clear that the mode of transmission here is close, intimate and skin-to-skin contact,” Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said.

Prevention

“Prevention is also clear: avoid intimate contact, especially anonymous ones with multiple sexual partners,” he said.

According to DOH spokesperson Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo, the agency does not see the need to implement social distancing in public places, which was implemented during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kissing or even touching cheeks as greetings should also be avoided.

While riding in overcrowded public transportation is inevitable, infectious disease expert Dr. Arthur Dessi Roman of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine maintained that such activity has “relatively lower risk” of contracting mpox.

Also at lower risk were attending concerts and festivals with fully clothed attendees, going to groceries and airports, and swimming in pools and bodies of water.