Manila: Negros Oriental's Provincial Health Office (PHO) is seeking a repeat testing of a three-year-old boy for mpox (formerly monkeypox) amid 'baffling' circumstances surrounding the child's infection. Dr. Liland Estacion, PHO chief, expressed confusion over the case, noting the absence of travel history or symptoms among the boy's family members.

According to Philippines News Agency, the boy was recently diagnosed with mpox symptoms, and test results from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Metro Manila confirmed the viral disease. Estacion mentioned that contact tracing efforts did not reveal any potential source of the infection, leaving the origin of the case unclear.

Estacion ordered a PHO team to visit the patient at an undisclosed location to collect samples for a repeat laboratory analysis. This case marks the first locally confirmed instance of mpox in Negros Oriental. An earlier case involved a teacher who contracted mpox but recovered before returning to the province.

While the situation is puzzling, Estacion reassured the public that there is no cause for alarm, emphasizing that mpox is treatable. She highlighted the importance of isolating patients to prevent the spread of the disease, which is transmitted through close contact and is usually mild.