DOH’s Vergeire: 95% of monkeypox cases globally passed through sexual contact

Department of Health (DOH) Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire on Monday said about 95% of monkeypox cases around the world are transmitted through sexual activities.

Vergeire, however, clarified that the monkeypox virus is not considered as a sexually transmitted disease.

“Hindi ho siya classified as a sexually transmitted disease. Although ngayong nag-evolve na itong virus na ito, itong monkeypox virus, maaari na itong makuha sa sexual contact. Actually, 95% of cases right now globally are through sexual contact nakuha,” she said in a radio interview.

(It is not classified as a sexually transmitted disease. Although now that this monkeypox virus has evolved, it can be gotten through sexual contact. Actually, 95% cases right now globally are acquired through sexual contact.)

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that monkeypox can spread “during close skin-to-skin contact during sex, including kissing, touching, oral and penetrative sex with someone who has symptoms.”

The WHO also said that anyone can get or pass on monkeypox, regardless of his/her sexuality.

The DOH announced on Friday that the Philippines has already recorded its first case of monkeypox in a 31-year-old patient who arrived from abroad on July 19. He tested positive for the virus on Thursday, July 28.

On July 23, WHO declared monkeypox as a "public health emergency of international concern” — the highest alarm it can sound.

Vergeire said that there were deaths reported due to monkeypox, and that immunocompromised, pregnant women, and senior citizens may be more vulnerable to the virus.

“Especially kapag ‘yung tinamaan ay immunocompromised individuals, mababa ‘yung kanilang panlaban sa sakit. Katulad ng mga buntis, maaari ring maging vulnerable sila, katulad ng mga kabataan, and of course, ‘yung mga nakakatanda na marami nang comorbidities,” she added.  

(The resistance of the immunocompromised to the virus is low. Those who can also be vulnerable to monkeypox are pregnant women, the young, and the elderly who already have many comorbidities.)

Vergeire thus reminded the public to adhere to the same health protocols against COVID-19 to protect themselves against monkeypox virus, such as wearing the best-fitted mask, keeping hands clean, and observing physical distance.

Meanwhile, infectious disease expert Dr. Rontgene Solante said that COVID-19 is still more dangerous compared to monkeypox as those infected with the latter normally heal after 21 to 28 days.

“Malayo talaga in terms of mortality. Mas delikado ang COVID-19 compared to monkeypox (They are different in terms of mortality as COVID-19 is more dangerous compared to monkeypox),” he said in an Unang Balita interview on Monday.

“In general, this is a less severe type of infection compared to COVID-19," he added. 

Testing and vaccines

In a separate interview, Vergeire said that the country is “very capable” of detecting monkeypox cases as the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) can test as much as 1,000 samples per day.

“Yes, we are very capable of detecting this virus. We have the capacity of testing 1,000 samples for RITM,” she said in a CNN Philippines interview.

“Ngayon, kina-capacitate na natin ‘yuung sub-national laboratories natin sa ibang regions natin para lahat ay magkaroon and the access will be improved (right now, we are capacitating our sub-national laboratories in other regions so they could also have access to testing monkeypox samples),” she added.

In June, a real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was set up by the RITM to detect possible monkeypox virus cases in the country.

Unlike COVID-19, Vergeire also said that only high-risk individuals, and not everyone, need to be vaccinated against monkeypox.

“This monkeypox is not like COVID-19 na we need to vaccinate all Filipinos so that we can prevent further transmission. Ang monkeypox, may specific sectors lang tayo (in monkeypox, we only have a specific sector) we identify as high-risk people that should need this kind of vaccine like the healthcare workers and other vulnerable sectors,” she said.

Vergeire earlier noted that DOH is already coordinating with the WHO for the possible procurement of vaccines against monkeypox.

She said that the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) already registered the smallpox vaccine as a tool to be used against this virus, but the supplies are still limited. —KG/RSJ, GMA News