The first mpox (formerly called monkeypox) case in Baguio City has been logged, though the patient – a 28-year-old male with milder MPXV Clade II infection – has already completed isolation and was released last January 17.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mpox is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus. It can cause a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fever. While most people fully recover from it, some get very sick, and thus require medical care.
“Anyone can get mpox,” the WHO stressed, adding that it spreads from contact with infected, including: persons, through touch, kissing, or sex; animals, when hunting, skinning, or cooking them; materials, such as contaminated sheets, clothes or needles; and pregnant persons, who may pass the virus on to their unborn baby.
Baguio’s first confirmed case sought medical care after noticing rashes on his body. He provided samples for laboratory testing, and results concluded that he contracted the less lethal strain of the mpox virus, though this still prompted the activation of contact tracing protocols set in place during the COVID-19 global outbreak in 2020.
Baguio City’s local government unit (LGU), however, did not disclose other details about the patient.
Baguio City’s LGU already issued a public advisory to urge residents and visitors to wear masks in crowded areas as a precautionary measure.
