Zamboanga Sibugay province confirms first Mpox case
Inquirer files
PAGADIAN CITY, ZAMBOANGA DEL SUR, Philippines — The Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial Health Office (PHO) has confirmed on Saturday the first case of Monkeypox (Mpox) in the province.
In a press statement, the Zamboanga Sibugay PHO identified the patient only as a three-year-old girl who resides in Tungawan town.
She was currently in recovery after receiving appropriate medical care at Dr. George T. Hofer Medical Center, says the PHO statement.
READ: Alarm up in South Cotabato as Mpox cases hit 10
The patient was initially seen at the Tungawan rural health office on May 5, where a blood sample was taken and forwarded to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Muntinlupa, Manila, for confirmatory testing.
Since May 5, both the patient and her close family members have been placed under home quarantine, while contact tracing was promptly initiated to limit further transmission of the illness, PHO said.
All individuals identified as close contacts are being informed and monitored according to national health guidelines, PHO added.
The Zamboanga Sibugay provincial government assured that health surveillance and response measures are in effect, and all essential actions are being taken to manage the situation.
In Zamboanga del Sur, the Integrated Provincial Health Office promptly released an advisory on Saturday following the confirmation of an Mpox case in Zamboanga Sibugay.
It called on the public to take measures to reduce the chances of contracting the virus. /cb
