ILOILO – The Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO) is maintaining surveillance against mpox and other infectious diseases, following Baguio City’s recent confirmation of its first mpox case.
The case involved a 28-year-old male infected with the less severe Clade II mpox virus.
The patient completed isolation and was declared cured on January 17, according to a Facebook post by the Baguio City Health Services Office.
Dr. Maria Socorro Colmenares-Quiñon, head of the IPHO, said provincial and municipal epidemiology and surveillance units (P/MESU), as well as district hospitals, are fully functional in monitoring suspected mpox cases.
“They are equipped to test and confirm whether cases with lesions are mpox or other diseases through the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine,” Dr. Quiñon told Panay News.
Mpox, caused by the monkeypox virus, was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organization due to its global spread.
The Department of Health (DOH) categorizes mpox as a dangerous communicable disease. Under the Sanitation Code of the Philippines, patients who die from such diseases must be buried within 12 hours without embalming, through cremation or burial in an approved site.
So far this year, there have been no reported mpox cases in Iloilo Province.
Additionally, the IPHO, municipal health offices, and district hospitals have not collected specimens from individuals showing symptoms of the disease.
Mpox symptoms include skin rashes or mucosal lesions lasting two to four weeks, often accompanied by fever, headaches, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.
The disease spreads through close contact, including skin-to-skin interactions, contaminated materials like bedding and clothing, or contact with infected animals.
The last recorded mpox case in the province was in 2022, involving a 25-year-old male.
Despite no reported cases since 2023, Dr. Rodney Labis, head of IPHO’s Health Service Delivery Division, emphasized that surveillance efforts by rural health units (RHUs) and district hospitals remain active. “This ensures health authorities can respond immediately to prevent the spread of the disease in the community,” Labis explained.
He urged individuals experiencing symptoms such as rashes lasting two to four weeks, especially with a history of travel to mpox-affected countries or intimate contact within the past 30 days, to isolate and consult primary care providers for proper evaluation and treatment.
To avoid contracting mpox, Labis advised frequent handwashing with soap and sanitizer, avoiding skin-to-skin contact with individuals with rashes, and refraining from using personal items such as utensils and bedding of infected individuals.
Dr. Labis noted that while antiviral treatments for mpox are under clinical trials and not yet available commercially, some vaccines are marketed in other countries. However, no vaccine has been approved in the Philippines.
Mpox poses severe risks to immunocompromised individuals and those with pre-existing skin conditions, underscoring the importance of surveillance and preventive measures./PN
