Barely scraping toward a post-pandemic world, the entire globe now faces a new threat called Monkeypox – and the Philippines is no exception.
From May 13, 2022, reports stated the reemergence of the disease that affected 12 countries that are not endemic to the monkeypox virus urging epidemiological investigations across the board.
As the virus is identified as zoonotic, which means it can be transmitted from animals to humans, it is believed that it was originally transmitted by human contact with bodily fluids of contaminated primates or through intermediary rodents.
While this is the case, health experts highlight that it is more likely to be caught by fellow humans and warned people that the virus could be sexually transmitted, as observed recently by the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
Additionally, the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns the public that there is a “theoretical risk” that the disease could be capable of airborne transmission – a striking similarity with the encompassing COVID-19 virus.
Meanwhile, in the Philippines, Health Undersecretary Abdullah Dumama said during a taping of the “Talk to the People” briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte, “We remind our countrymen to always adhere to minimum public health standards.”
Dr. Rontgene Solante of the Adult Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Unit at the San Lazaro Hospital expressed the urgency of isolation and monitoring of Philippine travelers before being allowed full entry to the country.
Solante also urged self-awareness and discipline among travelers to identify among themselves if they feel symptoms of the monkeypox virus, explaining that rashes and lymph nodes would not be visible until the 7th day of infection.
He further warns that one cannot easily differentiate between other viral or bacterial infections. So travelers must be cautious of the symptoms that include bouts of headaches, fever, muscle aches, swelling of lymph nodes, back pain, and profound weakness or asthenia.
The US CDC explains that monkeypox may look like chickenpox rashes or sores over infected skin where the disease's incubation period is usually from 6 to 13 days but can range from 5 to 21 days.
Health experts still rationalize the same precautions against the virus even though monkeypox is known to be less contagious or as less threatening as the feared Coronavirus, lest another outbreak should occur.
Notably, British healthcare workers are currently taking smallpox vaccines for protection against the virus as it is thought to be 85% effective against it. Although, no specific vaccine has been concocted for monkeypox.
As of May 21, the World Health Organization (WHO) has received 92 laboratory-confirmed cases and 28 suspected cases of the diseases from the affected 12 countries and has reportedly called for a convening of experts to address the growing crisis.
Thankfully, the Philippines’ Department of Health has assured Filipinos that no case of monkeypox has been detected within the country or within its borders.
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