THE country has recorded its first case of monkeypox as confirmed by the Department of Health on Friday.
In a Palace briefing, Health Undersecretary Beverly Ho said the patient is a 31-year-old Filipino who arrived from abroad on July 19. The patient had prior travel to countries with documented monkeypox cases.
Ho, who is also the DOH alternate spokesperson, said the person tested positive for the disease after undergoing RT-PCR test. She added that the patient is undergoing strict isolation and monitoring at home.
The department did not disclose the gender and the travel history of the confirmed case.
The DOH added it has identified 10 close contacts, including three from the same household. But Ho said the close contacts are not exhibiting any symptoms and are being monitored.
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