CEBU CITY – The Department of Health-Central Visayas (DOH-7) said that there are no confirmed cases of mpox in this city.
AN MPOX victim from Congo. (AP)
However, Dr. Eugenia Mercedes Cañal, regional epidemiologist of DOH-7, said suspected cases in this city are being monitored, following a Facebook post by a netizen named Shilrose H. Dy who said five individuals in Cebu City were being treated for monkeypox.
“According to the report on social media, mpox has allegedly spread in Cebu. That’s not true, we don’t have that. What we have are suspected cases,” Cañal said in Cebuano during a virtual press briefing on Thursday, August 29.
Cañal said there are no confirmed cases of monkeypox here or Central Visayas.
She said they are awaiting the result of the confirmatory tests for the suspected cases.
Swab samples have been sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Muntinlupa City for confirmatory testing, said Cañal.
The suspected cases involved individuals who have no travel history outside the country or even outside Cebu.
Cañal urged the public to avoid spreading unverified information that cause panic.
"We understand the public's concern, but it is crucial to avoid sharing unverified information that may cause unnecessary panic," she said.
Following health protocols and staying vigilant, particularly in monitoring symptoms associated with monkeypox, are crucial in avoiding the disease, said Cañal.
Although mpox has often been associated with men who have sex with men, Cañal clarified that the disease is not exclusive to this group, anyone can contract the virus.
Mpox symptoms typically include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, swollen lymph nodes, chills, and exhaustion, followed by a rash that usually appears on the face before spreading to other parts of the body.