The Philippines has detected a new case of the monkeypox virus, marking the country's first confirmed infection since December last year, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

The patient, a 33-year-old Filipino male with no history of international travel, was diagnosed with the virus. The DOH is currently awaiting sequencing results to determine the specific strain involved.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Mpox a global public health emergency on Wednesday following an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has since spread to neighboring countries.

A new variant of the virus has raised global concerns due to its apparent ability to spread easily through routine close contact. This variant has already been detected in Sweden, with a confirmed case linked to the growing outbreak in Africa. Pakistan also confirmed at least one case in a patient who had recently returned from a Gulf country, though the strain remains unidentified.

The recent case in the Philippines is the 10th laboratory-confirmed case since the country's first reported case in July 2022. The DOH reported that the patient began experiencing symptoms over a week ago, initially presenting with a fever, followed by the development of a distinct rash on various parts of the body, including the face, back, nape, trunk, groin, palms, and soles.

Mpox, caused by the monkeypox virus, typically results in flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. While the disease is usually mild, it can be fatal, particularly for children, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems, such as those with HIV.

Public health emergency

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) announced Tuesday a public health emergency due to the Mpox outbreak across the continent.

"With a heavy heart, but with an unyielding commitment to our people, to our African citizens, we declare mpox as a public health emergency of continental security in Africa," Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya told a briefing.

According to the Africa CDC, between January and July, at least 15,074 mpox cases were recorded across 12 African Union member states, with 2,853 confirmed cases and 12,221 suspected cases.

Additionally, there were a total of 461 deaths reported.

This marks a significant increase in Mpox cases, with a 160% rise in cases and a 19% increase in deaths compared to the same period in 2023.