Philippines says new mpox case 'not' deadly variant

MANILA, Philippines — The first mpox case reported by the Philippines this year is a mild variant and not the deadly strain sparking global alarm, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said Wednesday.

The highly transmissible Clade 1b strain of the virus has killed hundreds of people in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has also been detected Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Sweden.

"It's the old variant," Herbosa said of the virus that struck a 33-year-old Filipino male, referring to the mild Clade 2 variant.

"It's not as alarming as the Clade 1b," Herbosa told AFP.

He said the patient had not travelled outside the country and was "still confined" in the hospital.

"For us doctors, that means the virus is circulating in the community," Herbosa said.

Nine mpox cases were reported by Philippine authorities in 2022 and 2023, with the previous most recent one last December.

President Ferdinand Marcos on Tuesday ordered health officials to continuously monitor areas and people vulnerable to the virus.