DOH conducts mpox contact tracing

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) is conducting contact tracing for mpox, checking on people who closely interacted with both suspected or confirmed cases.

“We are in close coordination with different local government units. Although mpox is not airborne, all infectious diseases are subjected to contact tracing. Contact tracing is basic, we are doing contact tracing,” Health assistant secretary Albert Domingo said yesterday.

Domingo said the DOH monthly monitoring shows a decline in the number of mpox cases in the country.

The Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases advised people with skin rashes to consult healthcare workers so they can be assessed properly.

“Since mpox is contagious, individuals with rash should refrain from exposing other individuals, by covering their lesions with clean gauze, avoiding close skin-to-skin contact and not sharing personal items with other individuals. While there is a rash, consult with healthcare workers for proper assessment and management. They should also stay in their own dedicated room while recovering from mpox,” the group said in a statement.

In Negros Occidental, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson ruled out the possibility of closing provincial borders, amid the confirmed emergence of the disease in Panay and Siquijor Islands.

“We are not experiencing any cases of mpox, glanders or melioidosis in Negros Island,” Lacson said yesterday.

He advised those who have skin rashes to have theses checked immediately and to wear face masks in crowded places.

Sara: Help DOH fight dengue

Meanwhile, Vice President Sara Duterte yesterday called on people to support the DOH campaign to fight dengue.

At the start of Dengue Awareness Month, Duterte reminded the public that dengue-carrying mosquitoes could lead to fatalities.

“All of us could be in danger of becoming victims of this illness. Let us be one with the hope to control the spread of these mosquitoes that are infected with dengue,” Duterte said in a statement.

In April, the DOH reported that more dengue cases were recorded during the first four months of 2025 compared to the same period last year. It cited the 95,262 dengue cases recorded from January to April.

“This is 75 percent higher compared to the 54,556 cases during the same period in 2024,” the DOH
said. — Evelyn Macairan Gilbert Bayoran