DOH: Suspected mpox case in Lanao del Sur 'negative'

The Department of Health (DOH) said Monday that the person in Lanao del Sur suspected to have mpox has tested negative for the virus.

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa made the announcement, saying the results from the case’s polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test was released this morning.

“I just received this morning the good news. Negative po for monkeypox ‘yung suspect case natin sa BARMM, sa Lanao. Natala noong weekend na sabi ko, hindi pa final ‘yan and true enough this morning, lumabas na ‘yung result ng RITM, ‘yung RT-PCR noong pasyenteng galing sa BARMM at hindi monkeypox,” he said in a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon interview.

(The suspected case in BARMM, in Lanao, is negative for monkeypox. I said last weekend that that case is not yet confirmed, and true enough this morning, the results of the patient’s test came out and it was not monkeypox.)

“Malamang ibang illness ‘yun or ibang viral illness or skin diseases ‘yung nakita doon sa BARMM. Good news ‘yan,” he added.

(It's probably a different illness or a different viral illness or skin disease/ That's good news.)

The Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) of Lanao del Sur earlier confirmed that a patient suspected to have mpox was admitted at a hospital in Marawi City.

Because of this, the province was placed on code white alert and reactivated its disease surveillance units.

The mpox 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.

The public has been advised to use soap and water to kill the virus, and to use gloves when washing contaminated materials.

Symptoms of mpox include a skin rash or mucosal lesions, which can last 2–4 weeks. The rashes are accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes. — RSJ, GMA Integrated