MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday said it has only so far recorded 44 cases of mpox (formerly monkeypox) in the country as of June 13, which is 79 percent lower than the previous year.
READ: Mpox: What is it, how it spreads, care for patients
According to DOH spokesperson Albert Domingo, the 44 cases were recorded from Jan. 4 to June 13 this year.
“It is 79 percent lower than last year’s count of 205 for the same monitoring period,” noted Domingo in a statement.
“While the disease has always been around, there is no outbreak or even an increase in numbers,” he added.
Domingo then explained that the DOH does not discuss individual cases of the disease to avoid stigma and comply with data privacy laws — especially considering how few the cases are.
Local government units are mandated to issue their own advisories about the number of cases in their area in the interest of public health under Republic Act 11332.
READ: Mpox case confirmed in Mandaluyong City; contact tracing launched
The DOH statement comes after the Mandaluyong City government on Monday, June 29, confirmed a case of mpox, prompting health officials to launch contact tracing and other disease surveillance measures to prevent transmission. /das
