DOH confirms Mpox case in Cotabato province
Photo from Agence France-Presse/Inquirer files
COTABATO CITY, BARMM, Philippines – The Department of Health-Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) in the Soccsksargen region today reported one confirmed case of Monkey pox (Mpox) in Cotabato province and two suspected Mpox cases in South Cotabato province.
In an advisory, the Cotabato Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO), headed by Dr. Eva Rabaya, announced that the province has one confirmed Mpox case, identified as a 30-year-old male from Tulunan town.
It said the Mpox case reported by DOH-CHD is of the ‘Clade II variant’ categorized as low risk.
READ: Mpox: What is it, how it spreads, care for patients
“The patient had been informed since detection and is currently stable and isolated,” the IPHO Cotabato said.
The patient sought early consultations with health frontliners after experiencing symptoms.
The patient, now isolated in an undisclosed place in the province, has been cooperative with the local health office’s contact tracing initiatives, the IPHO said.
“All identified close contacts have been traced and quarantined. None of the close contacts are showing any signs or symptoms of the disease,” it added.
Provincial and municipal health offices had been on alert and exhausted all public health measures to ensure that the spread of Mpox is controlled and to prevent further spread of the disease.
In South Cotabato, the IPHO is closely monitoring two cases of suspected Mpox infection.
On Friday, Eldon Hans Serame, IPHO-South Cotabato Health Education and Promotion Officer, the specimen from two unidentified patients have been forwarded to Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) for confirmatory tests.
Serame also clarified that there is no confirmed case of Mpox infection in the province but all health workers were directed to keep an eye on possible infections.
“The two patients are now stable but we are closely monitoring them and the people they have close contact with,” Serame said in a radio interview.
Serame said one of the two patients was from nearby province but sought consultations in South Cotabato while the other is from the province but had travel history before experiencing symptoms.
In the Bangsamoro Region, Dr. Kadil Sinolinding, the region’s health chief, has issued health advisory informing the inhabitants to take precautionary measures.
“Although there are currently no confirmed cases of Mpox in the region, nearby regions and provinces have reported cases of Mpox,” Sinolinding said.
“It is important to remain informed and take preventive measures to protect our families and the community,” he said.
