The Department of Health (DoH) on Monday disclosed that it has recorded one new case of mpox in the country.
The 10th laboratory-confirmed mpox case was reported to the DoH on 18 August, where the infected was 33-year-old male Filipino national with no travel history outside the Philippines but with close, intimate contact three weeks before symptom onset.
He is currently in isolation in a government hospital in Metro Manila. The DoH said it will conduct contact tracing.
For probable or confirmed mpox cases, DoH is recommending home isolation until “all lesions or scabs have dried up,” typically after two to four weeks.
“We recommend home isolation so the moment that a symptom appears or an individual tested positive, isolate. Not just isolation, but no close contact,” said Health Secretary Ted Herbosa.
“Wearing of face mask is not needed. Handwashing is more important because of direct contact,” he added.
Herbosa also clarified that the virus that causes chickenpox is different from the virus that is causing mpox.
The DoH said the recent mpox case’s symptoms started over a week ago with fever, which was followed four days later by findings of a distinct rash on the face, back, nape, trunk, groin, as well as palms and soles.