SIX more mpox cases have been recorded in the Philippines, a representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) reported.

Dr. Rui Paulo de Jesus said that with the additional cases, the Philippines now has 24 mpox cases although no deaths caused by the disease have been recorded so far.

The mpox cases in the Philippines are Clade II, a milder variant of the disease, De Jesus said per a Philippine Star report.

Through its health department, the Philippine government is taking actions to contain the communicable disease by detecting and treating it.

According to de Jesus, there is no in-country transmission.

"Those cases are independent cases and most of the cases are under investigation,” he said.

Dr. Gina Samaan, WHO regional emergency director, also said the strategy being used to contain and avoid the spread of mpox is early detection, response and isolation.

Mpox is an illness caused by the monkeypox virus which can spread between people, through close contact, and occasionally from the environment to people via things and surfaces that have been touched by a person infected by the disease.

This disease can also spread among some wild animals and can be transmitted from infected animals to people who have contact with them.

According to WHO, those with mpox may have symptoms like a rash that looks like blisters which may last for 2-4 weeks. This may start with, or be followed by, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen glands (lymph nodes).

The first reported human case of mpox was a nine-month-old boy from Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970.(LAO)

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• #Mpox
• #World Health Organization
• #WHO
• #Philippines
• #Clade II
• #Monkeypox Virus