Tuguegarao City, Cagayan – The Department of Health has announced today, August 19, that it has detected 2 more cases of Monkeypox in the country, pushing the cumulative total infections to 3.
According to the DOH, both patients have declared recent international travel to countries or nations with cases of the disease.
One of the two new cases is a 29-year-old currently under the care of a designated isolation facility, while the other patient is a 34-year-old under home quarantine.
The DOH has not disclosed the location of both patients as of press time.
Presently, there are 17 identified persons from the DOH’s contact tracing from the 29-year-old patient, while on-ground authorities are now in search of the contacts of the other.
As hundred of cases of the new disease have been reported in many nations, the World Health Organization has declared Monkeypox as a public health emergency of international concern.
What is MonkeyPox?
Monkeypox is a rare viral disease first discovered in Central and West Africa back in 1958, which includes the smallpox or variola virus along with the vaccinia virus which can infect humans, animals as well as surfaces of objects with contamination of the virus.
The early symptoms of the disease are headaches, fever, swollen lymph nodes, chills, feeling of exhaustion, muscle pain/aches, backpains.
After 3 days or more after the initial symptoms, infected individuals usually get rashes that start as reddish flat then progressing to bumps filled with water, pus and to becoming a crust.
Health experts reveal that the rashes usually start on the face of infected people before progressing to body parts including genital areas.
There is also a wide time from infection period to showing of symptoms which can range from 5 to 21 days making it very hard to track.
The health department also told reporters that being sick with the disease may take from 2 weeks up to a month.
How is it transmitted?
Transmission of the virus is the typical close contact infection from animals, humans and surfaces of objects contaminated by the virus.
Scientists have bared that the virus may enter a person’s system through the respiratory tract (eyes, nose, mouth) and even through broken skin.
How is it cured? Is it Deadly?
The Department of Health and the WHO said for most individuals, symptoms of the Monkeypox disease usually resolve on their own without specific treatment.
In short, proper nutrition, hydration and plenty of rest with ample time are enough to treat it.
However, reports show that it is risky for children, immunocompromized people and pregnant women.
The DOH released an awareness advisory saying that there is a casualty rate expected of up to 10% from Monkeypox. TNF