Gab Ibis

The Philippines has confirmed its first mpox case of the year, identified as a milder variant of the virus, and distinct from the deadlier strain currently spreading in Africa. 

Photo Courtesy of The Manila Times/DOH.

Department of Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa reassured the public on August 21 that the detected variant is MPXV clade II, commonly found in West Africa has a lower mortality rate.

“We are lucky because the mpox we found was the original variety, the clade II … and it’s probably circulating in our community, among Filipinos,” Herbosa said in an interview with ANC.

This marks the tenth laboratory-confirmed mpox case in the Philippines since the virus was first reported in the country in July 2022. 

The Department of Health (DOH) emphasized that this variant, while serious, is far less lethal than the clade I variant currently wreaking havoc in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has a mortality rate of about 10 percent.

The latest case, a 33-year-old male from the National Capital Region, did not have a recent travel history, indicating local transmission of the virus. 

The patient had engaged in close, intimate contact with others weeks before symptoms appeared.

In response to this case, Quezon City authorities initiated contact tracing and discovered that the patient had visited several massage spas in Metro Manila.

Health Secretary Herbosa urged the public to remain vigilant but not alarmed. 

Herbosa advised avoiding close physical contact, maintaining proper hygiene, and regularly washing hands to prevent the spread of the virus. 

The mpox virus, formerly known as monkeypox, is part of the orthopoxvirus genus, first discovered in 1958 among laboratory primates in Denmark. 

The clade II variant, responsible for the 2022 global outbreak, is less severe, with an almost 100 percent survival rate. 

However, the rapid spread of the more virulent clade I in Africa remains a global concern.

The DOH assured the public that while mpox is a serious health issue, it is not as contagious or widespread as COVID-19. 

The agency continues to urge preventive measures and remains on high alert for any further cases.