TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Philippines has detected a new case of the Mpox virus in the country. Philippines’ Department of Health (DOH) said on Monday, August 19, 2024, that they are still waiting for test results before being able to determine the strain.

The DOH explained that the patient was a 33-year-old Filipino male with no history of traveling outside the Philippines.

"We are awaiting sequencing results and will update once available," Philippine DOH spokesperson Albert Domingo said when asked about the strain.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday declared mpox or monkeypox a global public health emergency. It is the highest form of alert, following an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo that had spread to neighboring countries.

A new form of the virus has triggered global concern as it seems to spread easily through routine close contact.

A case of the new variant was confirmed on Thursday in Sweden and linked to a growing outbreak in Africa, the first sign of its spread outside the continent. Pakistan on Friday confirmed at least one case of the mpox virus in a patient who had returned from a Gulf country, but said they did not yet know the strain of the virus.

The new case in the Philippines is the 10th laboratory-confirmed case the health department has detected. Its first case was in July 2022.

"Symptoms started more than 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," the Philippine DOH said in a statement.

The disease, caused by the monkeypox virus, leads to flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. It is usually mild but can kill. Children, pregnant people, and those with weakened immune systems, such as people with HIV, are all at higher risk of complications.

REUTERS

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