ZAMBOANGA CITY – The province of Zamboanga Sibugay has confirmed its first monkeypox case, which was recorded in Tungawan municipality.
DR. George T. Hofer Medical Center. (CTTO)
A press statement from the Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial Health Office said the patient is three-years-old who is confined at the Dr. George T. Hofer Medical Center in Titay, Zamboanga Sibugay.
He was taken to the Tungawan Rural Health Office on May 5 for suspected monkeypox where blood samples were collected and sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Muntinlupa City for confirmatory testing.
The patient and his family were placed under home quarantine on May 5 with health personnel immediately conducting contact-tracing activities to prevent the spread of the disease within the community.
The Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial Health Office is continuously monitoring the situation in coordination with the Provincial Department of Health Office and the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit.
The Provincial Health Officer is asking the public to remain vigilant for cases of monkeypox and other diseases mimicking monkeypox such as chickenpox, measles, herpes simplex, hand, foot, and mouth disease and rash illnesses.
“All health facilities have activated disease surveillance systems with the installation of fast lanes. Early detection and accurate diagnosis are key to effective management and containment,” the Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial Health Office added.