The Department of Health (DOH) announced on Monday that two additional mpox cases have been identified in the Philippines, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 12.
The 11th case is a 37-year-old male from the National Capital Region (NCR) who experienced symptoms beginning on August 20, including a distinctive rash on his face, arms, legs, thorax, palms, and soles. Despite having no known exposure to individuals with similar symptoms, the patient admitted to engaging in close, intimate, and skin-to-skin contact within 21 days prior to the onset of his symptoms. He remains hospitalized following admission on August 22.
The 12th case is a 32-year-old male from NCR who also displayed symptoms starting on August 14. He noticed skin lesions or clear, fluid-filled vesicles in his groin area, followed by the development of a fever. The patient admitted to having close, intimate, and skin-to-skin contact with a sexual partner.
Both cases were initially misdiagnosed with bacterial infections but were later confirmed as mpox after presenting with additional symptoms such as pimple-like lesions on the face, forehead, and scalp. Both patients are currently in isolation.
The DOH has assured the public that the latest cases are infected with MPXV Clade II, a milder form of the mpox virus. Of the 12 total cases, nine have recovered, while the remaining three are active cases awaiting symptom resolution.
The agency has also addressed concerns about a suspected mpox case in Northern Samar, clarifying that while many skin diseases can be confused with mpox, such as chickenpox, shingles, or herpes, the DOH's policy is to disclose confirmed PCR-positive mpox cases as soon as verification is complete.
Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo stated that epidemiological linkages between the two new cases and the 10th case, detected earlier this month, cannot be determined at this time. The 10th case involved a 33-year-old male with no travel history outside the Philippines but with close, intimate contact three weeks before symptom onset.
Common symptoms of mpox include a skin rash or mucosal lesions, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes. The DOH emphasized that anyone can contract mpox and that the virus can be transmitted through close and intimate contact with an infected person, contaminated materials, or infected animals.
The public is advised to practice good hygiene, use soap and water to kill the virus, and wear gloves when handling contaminated materials. The DOH has also expressed its intent to acquire smallpox vaccines to help protect against the mpox virus, following a declaration from the World Health Organization.
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