KORONADAL CITY – The Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) of South Cotabato reported on Tuesday the confirmation of a second monkeypox (mpox) case in Region 12 or the Soccsksargen region involving a resident of Lake Sebu town.

“The patient is currently in stable condition, undergoing recovery, and remains under close monitoring by local health authorities,” Eldon Hans Serame, the IPHO-South Cotabato health education and promotion officer, said in an interview.
This latest confirmation brings the total number of mpox cases in Region 12 to two.
The first case involved a patient from Tulunan in North Cotabato who sought medical consultations in South Cotabato. Both patients have been identified as having the milder Clade II variant of the virus.
A week prior, IPHO South Cotabato reported two suspected mpox cases, with specimens forwarded to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Munrinlupa City. The positive result for the Lake Sebu resident was released on April 28.
The other suspected case, involving a 30-year-old male who consulted at the South Cotabato Provincial Hospital, also tested positive and is currently under isolation in North Cotabato province.
Following the confirmation of the mpox case in South Cotabato, Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. issued an urgent call for everyone to practice diligent sanitation, maintain strict hygiene, and remain cautious to prevent the potential spread of the virus.
“The provincial government is closely monitoring the situation, and we urge the public to remain calm, vigilant, and responsible in observing health protocols. So far, we have the situation under control, and there is no cause for alarm,” Tamayo assured in a separate statement on Tuesday. (PNA)