Suspected Mpox case reported in Maasin City
MPOX composite image from AP and Inquirer stock photos
TACLOBAN CITY – A 55-year-old woman from Maasin City, Southern Leyte is currently being monitored as a suspected case of Mpox (monkeypox).
Mayor Nacional Mercado on Friday, May 30, said the patient is now in isolation while contact tracing of individuals who may have been exposed to her is ongoing.
“As of May 30, local health authorities reported one Mpox case under close monitoring and subjected to confirmatory testing,” Mercado stated in a social media post.
However, he did not release further details such as the symptoms experienced by the patient or whether she had a recent travel history to areas with confirmed Mpox cases.
In response to the suspected case, Mercado urged residents to observe precautionary health measures, including the use of face masks.
“In the meantime, we have imposed the mandatory use of facemasks, physical distancing, and basic health protocols to ensure the health and safety of our community,” he said.
Boyd Cerro, head of the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit of the Department of Health (DOH) in Eastern Visayas, said their office has yet to receive the specimen from the suspected patient.
“We expect to receive the sample by Monday, which will then be sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) for confirmatory testing,” Cerro said.
He also shared that since last year, the DOH regional office has received eight specimens from suspected Mpox cases in the provinces of Leyte, Biliran, and Samar—all of which tested negative.
A private hospital in Ormoc City, Leyte has issued a statement on May 30 denying that they have a patient that is positive of Mpox.
READ: Deadlier mpox variant not yet in PH, no need for lockdown – DOH
Mpox is a viral disease with common symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, swollen lymph nodes, chills, and exhaustion.
The disease is transmitted through close contact with an infected person, including direct contact with lesions, body fluids, or respiratory droplets as well as contaminated materials such as bedding or clothing.
