The Philippines reports that the recent case of mpox is a mild variant of Clade 2

MANILA, Aug 21 (Reuters) – The Philippine health minister announced on Wednesday that a recently identified case of mpox in the country involves the mild Clade 2 variant, rather than the newer variant that has rapidly spread in Africa. “The mpox we discovered is the original strain, and it may have been circulating within our community,” Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa shared with ANC news channel. On Monday, the Southeast Asian nation reported its first mpox case of the year. Since July 2022, the Philippines has confirmed a total of 10 laboratory cases.

The patient, a 33-year-old Filipino man with no recent travel history outside the country, is currently recovering in the hospital. Herbosa noted that all nine previously infected individuals have also fully recovered. Last week, the World Health Organization declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years due to an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has spread to neighboring countries