1st Mpox Case in 2024 Detected in Philippines

A new case of mpox (formerly monkeypox) has been recorded in the Philippines, the Department of Health (DOH) reported Monday. The DOH said it received information on a newly recorded mpox case on August 18 the first this year, raising the overall logged cases nationwide to 10. The country's last recorded mpox case was in December 2023. All previous mpox patients recovered. "The case is a 33-year-old male Filipino national with no travel history outside the Philippines," it said in a statement. Mpox is a viral zoonotic disease that has until recently, occurred primarily in tropical rainforest areas of central and west Africa and has occasionally been exported to other regions. This virus can spread between people, mainly through close contact, and occasionally from the environment to people via things and surfaces that have been touched by a person with mpox. Common symptoms of mpox include a fever, rash, and flu-like symptoms as well as skin lesions. While most Mpox cases are mild, the disease can be se vere, particularly for children, pregnant women, and people with underlying immune deficiencies. Source: Qatar News Agency