The Philippines’ health minister stated that a newly discovered case of mpox in the country is of the mild Clade 2 form and not the more prevailant variant that has swiftly spread throughout Africa.
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa mentioned that the mpox detected was the original strain, and it is likely that it had been circulating within the community for some time.
This is the 10th lab-confirmed case to be confirmed in the country since July 2022. According to Herbosa, the patient, a Filipino man 33 years of age without any history of traveling outside of the Philippines, is currently recuperating in the hospital. He also mentioned that all nine individuals who had been infected in the past had likewise experienced recovery.
Due to an epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that has since spread to neighboring countries, WHO declared a worldwide public health emergency a few days ago, which is the highest level of alert. This happened for the second time in as many years.
The disease, which is brought about by the monkeypox virus, is characterized by symptoms similar to those of the flu as well as pus-filled lesions. Despite the fact that it is often moderate, it has the potential to be fatal. Children, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune systems, such as people who have HIV, are at a greater risk of experiencing complications.
Having said that, WHO has stated that the mpox outbreak will not be the second coming of COVID-19, particularly because there’s quite a lot of information about the virus readily available, along with the proper tools to control it.
Although further study is required on the clade 1b strain, which led the United Nations agency to declare a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), WHO’s Director for Europe Hans Kluge stated on Tuesday that the escalation of mpox may be contained more effectively.
The less deadly Clade 2b mpox strain, which primarily afflicted homosexual and bisexual males, caused a widespread epidemic that the WHO classified as a PHEIC in July 2022. May 2023 saw the emergency alarm turned off.
Because of its apparent ease of transmission through common intimate contact, the clade 1b variant of mpox has caused worldwide worry. This variation has been associated with an increasing epidemic in Africa, and just last week a case was verified in Sweden.
The strain, according to Kluge, provides an opportunity for Europe to shift its attention back to the milder Clade 2 strain, which warrants improved public health guidance and monitoring. He added that there are now around 100 new cases of Clade 2 mpox documented in the European region per month.
