BARMM has 2 confirmed Mpox cases, says health official
MPOX composite image from AP and Inquirer stock photos
COTABATO CITY – The Ministry of Health in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MOH-BARMM) on Wednesday announced that the region has two confirmed Monkeypox (Mpox) cases.
Dr. Kadil Sinolinding, BARMM health minister, said the patients tested positive for the virus were from Maguindanao del Norte.
They are identified as a 59-year-old female from Sultan Kudarat town and a 28-year-old female from Datu Odin Sinsuat municipality.
Sinolinding stated that contact tracing is in progress for people who may have been in close contact with them.
He said six others are suspected to have the virus and are being subjected to confirmatory testing. They are from Cotabato City with three, one each from the towns of Sultan Kudarat and Parang in Maguindanao del Norte and Datu Montawal in Maguindanao del Sur.
Samples have been forwarded to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) of the DOH central office.
“We are closely monitoring them and they are aware of the disease and that they are very cooperative with our responses,” he said.
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“Stay calm, your health workers are on top of the situation,” Sinolinding said, urging the public to immediately alert the MOH or nearest health station should symptoms show for appropriate action.
“Let us remain vigilant and quickly see the nearest health facilities when symptoms show,” he added.
In South Cotabato, the municipal health office of Tboli confirmed one Mpox case in the town and another suspected of having the virus.
Dr. Joel Arcega, Tboli municipal health officer, said the patient with confirmed infection has traveled to Koronadal City from Tboli to vote in the last elections.
“Both patients have been isolated, and contact tracing to people they have been in contact with is in progress,” Arcega said in a radio interview.
With that, South Cotabato has listed three Mpox cases since March this year and all of them have recovered from the disease./MR
