‘There’s still no mpox Clade 1b seen here in the Philippines. We only have Clade II. The mortality rate of Clade II is lower, about one in 10, compared to four to five of Clade 1b.’
THE Department of Health warns the public against the spread of fake news and misinformation about mpox, urging citizens to rely only on verified information from official sources.
Photograph courtesy of DOH
No lockdown is happening anywhere in the Philippines due to the spread of mpox, the Department of Health (DoH) clarified on Saturday.
The DoH reminded the public to be wary of social media pages that spread information or news about mpox.
“There were more mpox cases in 2024. There were also more cases recorded in April than in May 2025. It just happens to be making headlines because local government units (LGUs) are active and announcing now,” DoH Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo said in Filipino.
Domingo also allayed the public’s fears about the entry of the more transmissible Clade 1b variant into the country.
“There’s still no mpox Clade 1b seen here in the Philippines. We only have Clade II. The mortality rate of Clade II is lower, about one in 10, compared to four to five of Clade 1b,” Domingo explained.
The Health official also said that there is no need for a lockdown because mpox is not airborne. He likewise reminded the public not to believe fake news endorsing certain health products.
The latest mpox case recorded was a resident from Maco, Davao de Oro. The patient has already recovered, but there were two other suspected cases in Maco and Nabunturan.
Another case was also reported in Iloilo Province but was also declared recovered by the provincial health office.
In Iloilo, meanwhile, four individuals are under isolation and monitoring due to suspected infection.
Local authorities in Bacolod City, on the other hand, strictly monitor hotels, spas, wet markets, and terminals to prevent any outbreak.
Mpox is a viral disease that spreads through close contact with an infected person or contaminated materials.
Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash that progresses through several stages.
There are 52 mpox cases in the country as of December 2024, and no fatalities so far.
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