Herbal medicines not recommended vs. mpox

The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday said it is not recommending any herbal medicine against mpox.

"At this point po, hindi tayo nagre-reccommend na maglagay ng mga kahit anong pahid o herbal treatment hindi lang sa mpox kung di sa chickenpox (At this point, we're not recommending to put anything on the skin, whether it's herbal, and not just for mpox, but also for chickenpox)," DOH Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo said in a televised interview.

"Kasi mayroon tayong risk of infection. Wag din po natin puputukin ang ating tigyawat kasi yan po ay nai-infect ng mikrobyo. Maganda po hayaan natin siyang matuyo (Because there's a risk of infection. Let's also not pop our pimple because it could get infected with germs. It's better to let it dry)," Domingo added.

The World Health Organization previously advised not to pop blisters or scratch sores, which can slow healing, spread the rash to other parts of the body, and cause sores to become infected.

Common mpox symptoms are skin rashes or mucosal lesions which can last two to four weeks, accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.

It can be transmitted through close contact with someone who has mpox, with contaminated materials, or with infected animals.

People with mpox can pass the disease on to others until all sores have healed and a new layer of skin has formed.