BACOLOD CITY – The Provincial Health Office (PHO) assured the public there is no cause for alarm over the first confirmed case of monkeypox (Mpox) in Negros Occidental.

“Indi magpakulba (Don’t be scared), said Provincial Health Officer Dr. Girlie Pinongan in a media interview Tuesday, emphasizing that the 20-year-old female patient from Talisay City is in stable condition and currently recovering.

Pinongan reiterated that the public should remain calm, noting that Mpox spreads through close physical contact rather than through the air.

According to Pinongan, the patient recently traveled domestically, but officials have yet to determine the source of the infection.

Pinongan said the patient began experiencing rashes and swollen lymph nodes in mid-June, prompting her to seek medical attention. She was advised to undergo testing for Mpox and isolate at home.

“The result came out over the weekend and turned out positive,” Pinongan said, adding that the patient has started treatment and is completing the 21-day isolation period at home. Her household contacts, who remain asymptomatic, are also under monitoring.

She said the Talisay City Health Office has conducted contact tracing to contain any possible spread.

Mayor Neil Lizares III broke the news on the province’s first Mpox case in Talisay City on social media on Monday night, June 23, and assured that the city is fully prepared to handle the situation.

Pinongan urged people to maintain good hygiene and seek medical consultation if experiencing symptoms such as fever, swollen lymph nodes, or unexplained rashes.

She clarified that this case is unrelated to this highly-urbanized city’s earlier confirmed Mpox case. The PHO is currently awaiting test results for two to three other suspected cases.