Muntinlupa LGU on alert against monkeypox
The Muntinlupa City government is on alert against monkeypox, a disease caused by the monkeypox virus that can spread from animals to people and between people.
The Philippines has no case of monkeypox but Muntinlupa’s City Health Office (CHO) said it is implementing measures against it, focusing on those arriving from countries with known cases.
“On monkeypox, the City Health Office thru the CESU is currently doing active surveillance to all residents of Muntinlupa arriving from other countries especially with known cases of monkeypox,” said Dr. Juancho Bunyi, CHO chief.
He said, “For those with symptoms similar to monkeypox are placed under strict monitoring and progress of symptoms. They are likewise advised to undergo strict home isolation. We refer patients to RITM for monkeypox real-time PCR test.”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of June 15, there are 2,103 confirmed cases of monkeypox in 42 countries.
On June 21, Singapore’s Ministry of Health announced that it has confirmed one imported case of monkeypox infection in the country.
“The patient is a 42-year-old male British national who works as a flight attendant and was in Singapore between 15 and 17 June 2022 and again on 19 June as he flew in and out of Singapore. He tested positive for monkeypox on 20 June. He is currently warded in at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), and his condition is stable. Contact tracing is ongoing,” the ministry said in a statement.
Monkeypox is commonly found in central and west Africa where there are tropical rainforests and where animals that may carry the virus typically live.
People with monkeypox are occasionally identified in other countries outside of central and west Africa, following travel from regions where monkeypox is endemic.
The WHO said the symptoms of monkeypox are fever, intense headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, swollen lymph nodes, and a skin rash or lesions.
“The rash usually begins within one to three days of the start of a fever. Lesions can be flat or slightly raised, filled with clear or yellowish fluid, and can then crust, dry up and fall off. The number of lesions on one person can range from a few to several thousand. The rash tends to be concentrated on the face, palms of the hands and soles of the feet. They can also be found on the mouth, genitals and eyes,” according to the WHO website.
It said symptoms usually “last between 2 to 4 weeks and go away on their own without treatment.”
“People with monkeypox are infectious while they have symptoms (normally for between two and four weeks). You can catch monkeypox through close physical contact with someone who has symptoms. The rash, bodily fluids (such as fluid, pus or blood from skin lesions) and scabs are particularly infectious. Clothing, bedding, towels or objects like eating utensils/dishes that have been contaminated with the virus from contact with an infected person can also infect others,” it added.
According to WHO, “Ulcers, lesions or sores in the mouth can also be infectious, meaning the virus can spread through saliva. People who closely interact with someone who is infectious, including health workers, household members and sexual partners are therefore at greater risk for infection. The virus can also spread from someone who is pregnant to the foetus from the placenta, or from an infected parent to child during or after birth through skin-to-skin contact. It is not clear whether people who do not have symptoms can spread the disease.”