ILOILO City – Despite strengthened disease surveillance efforts by the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU), along with Provincial and Municipal ESUs, no specimens have been collected by the Department of Health (DOH) Region 6 for confirmatory testing of mpox at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Metro Manila, officials said.
Dr. Bea Camille Natalaray, medical officer IV and head of the Emerging and Re-Emerging Infectious Disease (EREID) of DOH Region 6, told Panay News there are no pending samples from the region awaiting results from RITM.
Mpox, a viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus, is characterized by skin rash or mucosal lesions and can be transmitted through direct contact with the lesions, respiratory secretions, or indirectly via contaminated objects like bedding or clothing.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the mpox virus has two main clades: clade 1 (with subclades 1a and 1b) and clade 2 (with subclades 2a and 2b). The recent cases in the country from 2022 to 2023 were caused by clade 2b.
“Clade 1b was responsible for the rise in cases in Africa and Congo, and currently, clade 2 is divided into clade 2a and 2b, which caused our cases last year and this year,” said Natalaray.
Regarding severity, clade 1 typically shows a higher case fatality rate of 10 percent, whereas clade 2 exhibits a lesser fatality rate of less than one percent.
Natalaray emphasized the importance of continuous surveillance to detect any suspected cases of mpox in the region.
“Surveillance is crucial, and our Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit consistently reminds the provincial and municipal levels to immediately send specimens from patients exhibiting symptoms or suspected mpox cases to our regional office for further testing at RITM,” she said.
Natalaray also highlighted the necessity for health facilities to be vigilant in recognizing signs and symptoms of mpox, such as skin rash or mucosal lesions, which can persist for 2-4 weeks, along with accompanying symptoms like fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.
Health facilities are urged to report any individual with similar rashes or diagnosed cases of mpox, enabling the collection of specimens for testing. Suspected cases are advised to undergo complete isolation for at least 21 days or until lesions and rashes resolve, based on criteria established by their attending physician.
Currently, there is no specific treatment for mpox, and the approval process for antiviral therapies is ongoing by the Food and Drug Administration. Natalaray reassured that DOH-6 is well-equipped with necessary logistics, including personal protective equipment (PPE), ready to be distributed to health facilities as needed.
She also reiterated the need for the public to follow basic health protocols such as frequent hand washing, using alcohol-based sanitizers, and maintaining physical distance from those infected with mpox./PN
