The Philippines has detected its first case of the monkeypox virus, the Department of Health (DOH) announced on Friday, July 29.
“The DOH detected the first confirmed case of monkeypox in the country. The case is a 31-year-old Filipino national who arrived from abroad last July 19,” said DOH Officer-in-Charge Undersecretary for Public Health Services Team Beverly Ho during the Malacanang press briefing.
This person has “prior travel to countries with documented monkeypox cases,” she added.
Ho said that the case was “tested and confirmed positive for monkeypox via reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction or RT-PCR done at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine on July 28.”
She, however, did not specify the gender as well as the symptoms experienced by the first case.
“I think we will not go into that,” she said.
Ho said "the patient was tested and confirmed yesterday, July 28, but we will not be divulging anymore of the clinical information because that’s all within the purview of the specialist who is looking" at the first case.
The case “has been discharged well and is undergoing strict isolation and monitoring at home,” she noted.
Ho said that the first case underwent screening when this person arrived in the country. “Yes, dumaan po sa screening but we all know that the symptoms do not necessarily come out earlier, yung iba much later.”
The DOH has identified at least 10 close contacts of the first monkeypox case.
“DOH has completed its case investigation and identification of close contacts. Ten close contacts were recorded, of which, three were from the same household. All have been advised to quarantine and are being monitored by the Department,” said Ho.
“No symptoms for the current close contacts, they are still in quarantine, they are being observed,” she added.
Different from Covid-19
Ho also emphasized that the transmission of monkeypox virus is different from that of Covid-19 virus.
“Investigation of recent monkeypox cases in other non-endemic countries indicate potential transmission through sexual contact. It spreads mostly by intimate sexual contact with those who have rashes or open lesions,” she said.
“It is not like Covid-19 that spreads mostly through air,” she added.
Ho urged the public to follow the different health protocols to minimize their risk of contracting the monkeypox virus.
“While it is now a public health emergency of international concern, everyone can actually help prevent the spread of monkeypox. We minimized close sexual contact with suspected cases, especially those with rashes or open wounds, keep our hands clean, wear face masks, cover cough using our elbow, and continue to choose areas with good ventilation or airflow,” she said.
“The DOH wishes to emphasize that while anyone can get it, but if you have travel history to countries with monkeypox and then have symptoms like fever, lymphadenopathy or kulani, and rashes— that is the time that you need to seek medical attention. This will help hasten recovery,” she added.
Ho also assured the public that the country’s public health surveillance systems are able to detect and confirm monkeypox cases.