Philippines Identifies Mild Clade 2 Mpox Case Amid Global Health Alert

The Philippines' health minister revealed that a detected mpox case is of the mild Clade 2 variant. The patient, a 33-year-old Filipino male, is recovering in hospital. This marks the nation's tenth confirmed mpox case since July 2022. The WHO recently declared mpox a global public health emergency.

MANILA, Aug 21 (Reuters) - The Philippines' health minister announced on Wednesday that a recently detected mpox case in the country is of the mild Clade 2 variant, not the newer, rapidly spreading variant seen in Africa. 'The mpox we found was the original variety and probably it could have been circulating in our community,' Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa told ANC news channel.

The Southeast Asian nation announced its first mpox case of the year on Monday. The patient, a 33-year-old Filipino male with no recent travel history, is reportedly recovering in hospital. This brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases in the Philippines to ten since July 2022. Herbosa added that all nine previously infected Filipinos have also recovered.

Last week, the World Health Organization declared mpox a global public health emergency, the second time it has issued its highest alert in two years. The declaration followed an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo that spread to adjacent countries. Mpox, caused by the monkeypox virus, typically results in flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. While mostly mild, the disease can be fatal, particularly for children, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems, including those with HIV.

(With inputs from agencies.)