ILOILO City – Health authorities here have confirmed three more cases of mpox, raising the total number of confirmed infections to four, with two additional suspected cases still under observation. Despite the uptick, the Iloilo City Health Office (CHO) clarified that the city is not yet experiencing an outbreak.
In a press briefing on Monday, Iloilo City Health Officer Mary Ann Diaz reported that the three newly confirmed cases were part of the four suspected cases identified last week. The cases were verified through confirmatory testing conducted at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Metro Manila.
“These new cases tested positive through laboratory confirmation from RITM, which received their lesion samples,” Diaz said. “They are not close contacts of the city’s first confirmed mpox case, which indicates possible local transmission.”
Mpox is a viral zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus, which belongs to the same family as the virus that causes smallpox, though it is clinically less severe.
Diaz also revealed that one of the newly confirmed patients had no history of travel outside Iloilo City. However, a member of the same household had recently traveled, although that person has shown no symptoms of mpox.
“All confirmed cases are currently in stable condition, undergoing medical treatment and strict isolation,” she added.
Health authorities also noted that most of the confirmed patients had pre-existing health conditions or comorbidities, which may influence the severity and treatment of mpox infections.
Meanwhile, an additional suspected case has emerged, bringing the current total of suspected mpox cases in the city to two.
Mpox can be transmitted through close physical contact — particularly skin-to-skin interactions — with infected individuals, contaminated materials such as bedding or towels, or through respiratory droplets during prolonged face-to-face contact.
No Declaration of Outbreak — Yet
City health officials are not declaring an outbreak at this time.
“In our recent meetings, we raised the question of what constitutes an outbreak,” said CHO representative Regine Hortinela. “Even with the presence of multiple cases and local transmission, the Department of Health (DOH) has not yet issued clear guidelines or an official definition for declaring a monkeypox outbreak.”
She added that the CHO is closely coordinating with the DOH central office, which will verify if current national protocols apply and if additional policies should be enacted in response to the local situation.
Diaz raised concern over delays in confirmatory test results due to the increasing number of specimen submissions nationwide. Currently, all samples from Iloilo City must be sent to RITM in Metro Manila for validation, which slows down diagnosis and response.
To address this, the city government is preparing to send a formal request to RITM to allow mpox testing to be conducted locally through the Uswag Molecular Laboratory in Iloilo City. Diaz expressed confidence that the laboratory has the trained personnel and technical capacity to conduct Mpox testing.
“We are confident in our local capacity,” she said. “Allowing our city to handle testing will reduce delays and improve our containment response.”
No Testing Without Symptoms
The CHO emphasized that only individuals showing mpox symptoms — particularly those with visible skin lesions — can be tested. The standard procedure involves swabbing fluids from the lesions and submitting these samples for laboratory analysis.
“If you don’t have any symptoms, especially lesions, we cannot take samples from you,” Diaz explained. “There are no test kits available in the city at the moment, so we follow the protocol of specimen collection and sending to RITM.”
Common mpox symptoms include fever, rash, headache, swollen lymph nodes, muscle aches, and fatigue. The characteristic rash often progresses from flat lesions to fluid-filled blisters that eventually scab over. In some cases, lesions appear in the genital or perianal area.
The city government and the CHO are working closely to bolster local preparedness should the number of mpox cases continue to rise. This includes:
* the identification of a temporary isolation facility
* continued coordination with schools, barangay officials, checkpoints, and workplaces
* strengthening case management and response teams
“We’ve had successive meetings focused on readiness — from testing protocols to isolation planning and case management,” Diaz said. “We want to be ready for the possibility of more cases.”
Both Diaz and Hortinela called on the public to take an active role in preventing further transmission by following health protocols and seeking timely medical consultation.
“We urge residents to be cautious, report any symptoms honestly, and isolate immediately if symptomatic,” said Diaz. “This is a respiratory-transmitted disease, so we must remain vigilant.”
The CHO outlined the following health precautions:s
* frequent hand washing
* wearing of facemasks
* avoiding crowded places
* wearing long-sleeved clothing to protect the skin
* practicing mindful and safe travel
“We are not declaring an outbreak, but we are definitely taking this seriously,” Diaz emphasized. “We are working with all sectors, and we need the public’s cooperation to contain this.”/PN
