A fourth case case of monkeypox has been detected in the Philippines, as a 25-year-old Filipino was admitted to an isolation facility, according to OneNews.
In a statement on Monday (August 22), the Department of Health (DOH) said the patient has no documented travel history to or from any country with confirmed cases of monkeypox.
Intensive case investigation and contact tracing is ongoing, with14 close contacts identified. "One is currently taking care of the case in the isolation facility, while six are undergoing quarantine," said the DOH.
The case was tested and confirmed positive via real time polymerase chain reaction or RT-PCR (Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) by the DOH Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.
The DOH stressed that all four confirmed monkeypox cases are unrelated to each other. The first case has already recovered and was discharged from isolation on August 6, while the second and third cases are still in home isolation and in stable condition.
No new contacts of these cases have been identified.
While monkeypox is not considered a sexually transmitted disease, it is often transmitted through close, sustained physical contact, which can include sexual acts with those who have rashes or open lesions.
Monkeypox symptoms are mild and the disease is rarely fatal. It is not airborne.
On top of the rising COVID infections in the Philippines, with active cases at more than 35,000 to date, the country is keeping a close eye on monkeypox virus, another virus of global concern.
Earlier, a 31-year-old Filipino became one of Singapore's confirmed cases of monkeypox.
"He developed fever on July 21, and subsequently rashes on his face and at his perianal region with further spread to other parts of his body," according to Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) said.
The patient was admitted to Singapore General Hospital on July 24 and contact tracing is currently ongoing, according to MOH.
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