WHILE all the 14 mpox cases in the Philippines are of the milder Clade II variant, it is “only a matter of time” before the stronger Clade Ib reaches the Philippine shores, In a televised public briefing, Health Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo said yesterday.
But the country is ready to manage Clade Ib, the spokesman of the Department of Health also said.
“We are being taught and practiced through these milder Clade II cases. It shows that our healthcare system can and will be able to handle when it (Clade Ib) reaches the Philippines,” he said.
The Philippines has recorded nine mpox cases from July 2022 to December 2023, and all patients have recovered. The five detected this year are still active cases.
“Clade Ib has yet to reach the Philippines. But it will come… and it’s only a matter of time,” Domingo said.
MPXV Clade I has been observed to more likely cause severe illness and death, especially among the immunocompromised. Clade Ib is a new strain of MPXV responsible for the current outbreak in Africa.
MPXV Clade II has been observed to be milder than Clade I, but caused the mpox global outbreak in 2022.
Domingo, on the latest mpox cases, said Cases 13 and 14 are doing well.
“Both are awaiting recovery while at home,” he said.
Domingo said the two close contacts of Case 13 and the four close contacts of Case 14 have not shown any mpox symptom.
He also said no link has been established among all the active cases of mpox in the country.
“It appears that there is really an ongoing local transmission,” he said.
Amid the threat of Clade Ib, the Department of Health and the Bureau of Quarantine have begun implementing a tighter screening process for travelers.
In a statement, the DOH said the BOQ has put in place a “significant change” in the screening questions in travelers’ electronic travel form.
“If by the electronic form, a traveler is determined to be from a country listed by WHO (World Health Organization) as an outbreak area, or they have a history of exposure to an mpox case, or they have any signs/symptoms, the etravel.gov.ph system will alert the Bureau of Immigration and the Bureau of Quarantine,” said the DOH.
The passenger will then be referred by BI to BOQ for secondary screening.
“If upon the assessment of BOQ personnel, a traveler is determined to be a suspect case, they will be cared for and properly conducted to an mpox referral hospital,” said the DOH.
