DOH issues new guidelines vs mpox

The Department of Health (DOH) has released the updated interim guidelines for the prevention, detection, and management of mpox in the country. 

Based on the 8-page Department Memorandum No. 2024-0306, signed by Health Secretary Ted Herbosa, all individuals shall adhere to standard minimum precautions for the prevention of mpox, such as but not limited to the following: 

• Avoid close and intimate, skin-to-skin contact such as sexual contact, kissing, hugging, and cuddling with individuals who are suspect, probable, or confirmed cases of mpox. If contact is unavoidable due to the need for care, caregivers must adhere to proper prevention and control measures, including the use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE);
• Observe frequent and proper hand hygiene with alcohol-based hand rub or hand-washing whenever hands are soiled or contaminated;
• Ensure the objects and surfaces suspected of being contaminated with the virus, or handled by and infectious person, are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected;
• Avoid contact with animals, particularly mammals, that may carry the virus, including sick or deceased animals found in areas where mpox is present. 

All healthcare providers were also mandated to observe a “high index of suspicion for mpox” when evaluating individuals with the characteristic acute unexplained rash, mucosal lesions, or lymphadenopathy. 

They were also tasked to notify the DOH of any suspect, probable, or confirmed case within 24 hours of detection. 

Meanwhile, all suspect and probable mpox cases shall be tested for laboratory confirmation of the monkeypox virus (MPXV). 

Their close contacts shall also be monitored or should self-monitor daily for the onset of signs or symptoms for a period of 21 days from the last contact with the suspect, probable, or confirmed case or their contaminated materials. 

Those who are at high risk for complications, such as young children, pregnant women, and those who are immunosuppressed, even those with severe or complicated mpox should be admitted to the hospitals. 

“The updated DOH Mpox guidelines is scientific and agile. It has been drafted by Filipino experts for Filipino communities, fully aligned with the international response,” Herbosa said in a statement. 

On Thursday, the DOH announced that passengers going in and out of the Philippines are now required to declare if they have had rashes, vesicles, or blisters in the past 30 days prior to their travel as part of the country's surveillance against mpox. 

If a traveler arriving in the Philippines was determined to be coming from a country listed by World Health Organization (WHO) as an outbreak area, has a history of exposure to an mpox case, or has any mpox signs or symptoms, the eTravel system will alert the BOQ and the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

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,” DOH added.

A total of 14 mpox cases have so far been detected in the country since July 2022. Of them, nine have long recovered since 2023, while five are active cases waiting for symptoms to resolve.

Common symptoms of mpox include a skin rash or mucosal lesions, which can last two to four weeks. The rashes are accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.

The DOH said that anyone can get mpox, and the virus can be transmitted to humans through close and intimate contact with someone who is infectious, through contaminated materials like used clothes or utensils, or through infected animals.—AOL, GMA Integrated News