While the Department of Health (DOH) said that there is no public emergency over Mpox, President Marcos ordered agencies to continue monitoring areas and people most vulnerable to the viral disease.
"Continue surveillance especially on areas and people most vulnerable to the disease," Marcos told Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa and other officials during their meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 20.
According to Herbosa, most vulnerable to Mpox, formerly called "monkeypox," are people who are immunocompromised.
During their meeting, Herbosa told the President that the DOH has recorded 10 cases of Mpox since 2023. All patients have recovered.
The DOH chief said there is no public emergency with regard to Mpox as he cited the low number of cases and the fatality rate of the disease. He also noted that the disease is not airborne.
Unlike Covid-19, which is airborne, Mpox may only be transmitted through intimate or skin to skin physical contact with someone who is infected or with contaminated materials.
Mpox is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The common symptoms of Mpox are skin lesions, which can last two to four weeks accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.
Herbosa also assured Marcos that the DOH is ready to treat and manage Mpox.