Monkeypox or mpox, as the viral disease is popularly known today, recently developed an upsurge in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and from there had spread to Europe and North America, mainly due to commercial aviation. In 2022 up to 2023, a global outbreak of mpox was caused by its clade llb strain, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Congo Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said in a video message that the country “has recorded 15,664 potential cases and 548 deaths since the beginning of the year,” with all 26 provinces affected. The WHO is concerned over the rise in cases and fatalities in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the spread to Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.
‘This prompt action by the mayor should drive home the point that LGUs are the best line of defense against any developing public health problem.’
Unlike COVID-19 which created a severe culture of fear among Filipinos because it hit the whole unprepared world as a pandemic just like no other, mpox is an illness unknown to most Filipinos. And those who are aware of it most likely will ignore mpox, believing that Congo is thousands of miles away and chances are this outbreak will just pass over the Philippines.
Common symptoms of mpox are a skin rash or mucosal lesions which can last two to four weeks accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes. The disease can be transmitted through close contact with someone who has mpox, with contaminated materials, or with infected animals.
Mpox has become a public health issue — at least in Quezon City — when a new case of the disease was discovered, bringing the total number of cases in the city to six. The Quezon City government confirmed on Wednesday that the latest case involved a 31-year-old male resident who first showed symptoms of mpox on Oct. 18. On Oct. 31, the Health Department’s City Epidemiology and Surveillance Division (CESD) released test results, confirming the diagnosis.
As of October 10, the World Health Organization has recorded 24 mpox cases in the Philippines.
It should be noted that the latest case in QC is also the sixth mpox patient known to have visited the Fahrenheit Club (F Club), an entertainment hub for gay men and bisexuals. According to the CESD’s investigation report, the 31-year-old male visited the F Club on Oct. 5. Officials suspect that this nightclub is a “potential source of exposure” for the confirmed mpox cases.
Records at City Hall showed that last Aug. 24, the city’s Business Permits and Licensing Department issued a cease and desist order for the club’s failure to comply with contact-tracing measures. The F Club also violated Republic Act 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Concern Act.
While the management of the entertainment hub had no choice but to comply with the order for temporary closure, it appears that it has just changed its name and business style. The BPLD received recently a new business application for “FINE Wellness Bar and FINE Spa,” which used the same address and facilities as the F Club. This prodded Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte to order the closure of both the F Club and the new FINE Wellness Bar and Spa.
This prompt action by the mayor should drive home the point that LGUs are the best line of defense against any developing public health problem.
