Negros Occidental cleared of mpox

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — The test of 10 suspected cases of mpox here and in the province yielded negative results, the City Health Office (CHO) said.

Dr. Grace Tan, Bacolod CHO environment sanitation division chief, said the patients were transferred from isolation in the hospital after laboratory exams showed them negative for mpox, a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus.

“The management (of the illness) is different after the patient is identified as negative,” Tan said.

Mpox usually starts with flu-like symptoms that include fever, muscle aches and fatigue. Rashes also develop within a few days.

Six cases were reported in the city and four in Negros Occidental.