Philippines Detects First Mpox Case This Year, yet to Determine Strain

MANILA—The Philippines has detected a new case of the mpox virus in the country, the first since December last year, its health department said on Monday, adding it was awaiting test results before being able to determine the strain. The patient was a 33-year-old Filipino male who had no travel history outside the Philippines, the Department of Health (DOH) said. “We are awaiting sequencing results and will update once available,” its spokesperson Albert Domingo said when asked about the strain. The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared mpox a global public health emergency, its highest form of alert, following an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo that had spread to neighbouring countries....