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| A man in New York who has recovered from monkeypox shows scars from rashes on his skin in a photo taken July 19. (Photo from AFP) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] The Department of Health (DOH) reported the first monkeypox case in the Philippines on Friday and officials said they were trying to obtain vaccines and medicines against the viral disease from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The 31-year-old Filipino who returned from abroad early on July 19 had already recovered but was still isolated at home, according to Health Undersecretary Beverly Ho, PH Inquirer reported.
She said 10 people identified as close contacts, including three from the patient’s household, had been ordered to quarantine. The person had previously traveled to countries with documented monkeypox cases, she added without elaborating. Around 70 countries where monkeypox is not endemic have reported outbreaks and confirmed cases topped 20,300, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) on July 23 to declare a global health emergency. WHO reported five deaths from Jan. 1 to July 22. The Philippine case was confirmed positive on Thursday and the close contacts had not shown any symptoms, Ho said.
An infected person would have a chickenpox-like rash or sores on his skin and also experience flu-like symptoms. Ho said the DOH was planning to get a compassionate special permit (CSP) for monkeypox vaccines and medicines. She told reporters on Thursday that the DOH was in “constant communication” with its counterparts and USAID to secure jabs and medicines for monkeypox.
