Iloilo City: The City Health Office announced Friday that it has recorded eight laboratory-confirmed mpox cases, with five of those cases now fully recovered. Dr. Roland Jay Fortuna, the city assistant health officer, clarified that Iloilo City has logged a total of 13 mpox-related cases, encompassing both confirmed and suspected instances.

According to Philippines News Agency, Dr. Fortuna detailed during a press conference that the city is awaiting results from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) for five suspected cases, with four previous suspected cases having tested negative. He emphasized the importance for residents who develop rashes to visit the city's health centers, which operate around the clock, for specimen extraction. Additionally, the city's molecular laboratory is available to assist in the extraction process.

Residents with inquiries can reach out through the hotline numbers 0995-6382338 and 0908-2130980. Ruvi Matulac, the assistant regional disaster risk reduction and management manager of the Department of Health Center for Health Development in Western Visayas (DOH CHD-WV), stated that the mpox cases in the country are classified as the milder Clade II type. Test kits have been distributed to provinces, cities, and DOH hospitals, and specimens are sent to RITM in the National Capital Region every Tuesday and Thursday, with a turnaround time for results ranging from seven to 10 days.

The Western Visayas Medical Center has the capability to test mpox specimens but currently lacks the necessary kits to do so.