ILOILO – All five suspected cases of mpox (monkeypox) from this province have tested negative following confirmatory tests conducted at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Metro Manila.
Dr. Rodney Labis, chief of the Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO) – Health Service Delivery Division, confirmed this to the media: “As of today, there have been no reported cases of mpox in the province of Iloilo in 2024. There were patients who met the suspect case definition for mpox, and their specimens were sent for confirmatory testing, all of which yielded negative results.”
Despite the negative results, the IPHO continues to maintain vigilance.
The Provincial Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (PESU), along with Municipal Health Offices (MHOs) and local hospitals, is actively conducting disease surveillance. This effort ensures that, in the event a case is detected, immediate response and containment can be implemented to prevent community transmission.
“Surveillance continues at our unit and local hospitals to monitor for mpox cases. Should a patient with mpox be detected in the province, we are ready to respond swiftly and control the spread within the community,” Labis added.
He further explained that the Department of Health (DOH) has classified mpox as a dangerous communicable disease. Under the Sanitation Code of the Philippines and DOH policies, patients who die from mpox must be buried within 12 hours without embalming or cremated. They must also be laid to rest in an approved burial ground.
Mpox is a viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus. Symptoms may include skin rashes or mucosal lesions lasting 2-4 weeks, often accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes.
Transmission occurs through close contact, such as skin-to-skin interaction, sexual contact with an infected person, contact with contaminated materials (like bedding or clothing), or through bites or scratches from infected animals.
The virus can also be passed to a fetus during pregnancy or to a newborn during or after birth. Patients remain contagious until all lesions have healed and new skin has formed.
The DOH emphasizes the importance of preventing transmission through respiratory etiquette, proper ventilation, handwashing with soap and water or using alcohol-based sanitizers, and avoiding individuals showing symptoms of mpox./PN
