Amid the global scare over the recent outbreak of mpox (formerly known as Monkeypox), Phillippines detected a new case of the virus in the country. The Philippine Health Department confirmed the news on Monday, noting that this is the first case in the country since December last year.

What was concerning was the fact that the Department of Health (DOH) mentioned that the Filipino man who was diagnosed with the virus had no travel history outside the country. The DOH mentioned that the man started showing symptoms more than a week ago with a fever. Four days later he started having a distinct rash on his face, back, nape, trunk, groin, as well as palms and soles.

“The case is a 33-year-old male Filipino national with no travel history outside the Philippines but with close, intimate contact three weeks before symptom onset,” the DOH said in a statement, GMA News reported.

The variant of the virus is yet to be determined 

The patient was brought back to a government hospital where samples were connected for testing. The variant of the virus is yet to be determined. “PCR test results are positive for Monkeypox viral DNA,” the DOH said.

The case occurred in the Philippines days after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the disease as a “Global Public Health Emergency”. This is the second time in two years the international body had to take such measure.

A new form of the virus has triggered global concern as it seems to spread easily through routine close contact. Last week, Sweden reported the first mpox case of the new variant outside the continent of Africa.

After detecting the first case, the Stockholm-based ECDC said more imported cases to Europe were “highly likely”. “Due to the close links between Europe and Africa, we must be prepared for more imported clade I cases,” ECDC director Pamela Rendi-Wagner said in a statement.

At least 450 people died during the initial outbreak of the new variant in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The disease has since spread to areas of central and east Africa.

Mpox spreads by physical contact and causes a characteristic lumpy rash, fever, aches, and pains. Medical professionals have always raised concerns over the matter since the virus can be extremely fatal.

Clade 1b appeared in DRC in September last year and is touted as the “most dangerous variant yet”. It has a higher mortality rate than clade 2 - said to be between 5-10 per cent compared to 0.2 per cent and has already accounted for 15,000 cases in Africa this year.

According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the symptoms usually appear 6-13 days after infection and include fevers and headaches, rashes or sores and muscle aches.

Source: NDTV