No local transmission of monkeypox? DOH can't say yet

Citing the country’s testing capacity, the Department of Health (DOH) on Friday said it is still uncertain if there is no local transmission of the monkeypox virus in the Philippines.

“Unang-una (First of all), I cannot be certain to say that there is no local transmission,” DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a media briefing.

She said this is because the government cannot test all citizens and those with symptoms may not get a consultation.

“So there is no certainty. But what is certain right now, handa tayo. Handa tayo to detect. Handa tayo na gamutin. Handa tayo to prevent transmission of this disease. Government is doing all of its efforts para mapigilan natin na kumalat ang sakit na ito dito sa ating bansa,” she said.

(So there is no certainty. But what is certain right now, we are ready. We are ready to detect. We are ready to treat. We are ready to prevent transmission of this disease. Government is doing all of its efforts to prevent the spread of this illness in the country.)

According to Vergeire, there are no new monkeypox cases recorded.

In August, the country detected its fourth monkeypox case.

“[H]anggang sa ngayon apat pa lang ang kaso natin. Although marami pa rin po ang nagpapatest araw-araw sa ating laboratoryo. And wala pa tayong nade-detect pa na nagpo-positive ulit,” she said.

(Up to now we still have four cases. Although a number of people go to our laboratory for testing we have yet to detect a new case.)

Vergeire said the third case finished its home isolation on September 8 and has been declared fully recovered by a physician.

The case’s 17 close contacts have also finished their quarantine and were discharged with no symptoms.

Meanwhile, Vergeire said the fourth case was discharged from the hospital on September 15 and is currently undergoing home isolation.

“Titignan natin hanggang the 21st day and has to be certified also by their physician. Pero wala nang additional symptoms pa na naitala para dito sa case number four,” she said.

(Let’s wait for the 21st day and has to be certified by their physician. But case number four also no longer has any symptoms.)

Vergeire said the 19 close contacts of the fourth case have also finished their quarantine and are now all asymptomatic.

“Isa na lang ang nagko-continue ng kanyang quarantine dito sa close contacts ng case number four. Ito 'yung kanyang kamag-anak na nag-alaga sa kanya. So nagstart pa lang ng kanyang home quarantine nung na discharge ang pasyente sa ospital,” she said.

(Only one of the close contacts is still on quarantine. This is the case’s relative who took care of them. So they started their home quarantine when the patient was discharged from the hospital.)

The DOH earlier said monkeypox is a virus transmitted to humans through close contact with an infected person or animal or contaminated materials.

The first symptoms can include a fever, headache, sharp muscle pains, fatigue, a rash, as well as swollen and painful lymph nodes.—AOL, GMA News