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The Department of Health (DOH) confirmed that the Philippines has recorded its first case of monkeypox.
According to the DOH’s Dr. Beverly Ho, “the DOH detects the first confirmed case of monkeypox in the Philippines. The case has been discharged well and is undergoing strict isolation and monitoring at home.”
She added that the case is recovering well.
The case is of a 31-year-old Filipino who arrived from abroad on July 19, 2022. Reports say that the case has previously traveled to countries with confirmed monkeypox cases.
Dr. Ho said that the case tested positive through reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) done at the DOH Research Institute for Tropical Medicine on July 28.
What is monkeypox?
According to the World Health Organization, monkeypox is “transmitted to humans through close contact with an infected person or animal, or with material contaminated with the virus.”
It is transmitted through “close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials such as bedding.” Symptoms include “fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes.” It may lead to a range of medical complications.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a series of steps to prevent getting monkeypox.
They recommend avoiding “close, skin-to-skin contact with people who have a rash that looks like monkeypox.” The CDC also encourages everyone to wash their hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
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