First Mpox Case Emerges in Baguio City

The city's public information office (PIO) reports that Baguio City has recorded its first incidence of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, a viral illness that causes blisters or rashes.

The patient is a 28-year-old man with a milder MPXV Clade II infection, according to a post from the Baguio City PIO, which cited its health services office.

Additionally, it stated that the patient was released on January 17 after completing isolation.

"Mpox Clade II is transmitted by close and intimate, skin-to-skin contact and through objects touched by patients with active skin lesions," Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa previously clarified.

Baguio City has reported its first case of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox), a viral disease characterized by rashes or blisters. 1 The city's public information office (PIO) confirmed that the patient, a 28-year-old male, has already completed isolation and was released on January 17th. 2 The PIO, citing the city's health services office, noted that the patient experienced a milder form of the MPXV Clade II infection.

While acknowledging the increasing number of mpox cases nationwide, the city health services office has assured the public that there will be no implementation of border controls or community lockdowns. The city's response strategy emphasizes prompt testing, contact tracing, and home care to effectively "break chains of transmission.