(PNA file photo)
CEBU CITY – Six suspected cases of mpox are being investigated in Mandaue City, a local health official said Monday.
Dr. Debra Maria Catulong, head of the Mandaue City Health Office, said the six were advised to isolate at home.
They were provided with medical kits and food.
The samples taken from the six individuals were immediately sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Metro Manila for confirmation, Catulong added.
The doctor also urged the public, particularly those who have displayed symptoms of the disease, to follow doctors' instructions.
She said one of the six individuals, a female, was caught buying things outside.
"If doctors advise to undergo home isolation, let’s just follow it because that is for our own good. At least, we can limit the infection,” she added.
Meanwhile, Dr. Eugenia Mercedes Cañal, head of the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, said there is not enough basis yet for the government to order a mass vaccination against mpox.
“As of now, we don’t have many vaccines here and it is still premature to do mass vacation for mpox,” she said.
Since 2022, the country has recorded 12 mpox cases.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said people with mpox often get rashes on their hands, feet, chest, face, mouth or near the genital region. (PNA)
