CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Health authorities confirmed the first case of mpox (monkeypox) in Northern Mindanao, involving an adult male from Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental.
The Department of Health-Region 10 made the announcement on Friday.
The patient is currently confined at the Mayor Hilarion A. Ramiro Sr. Medical Center, where he is being treated and monitored. The case was detected following laboratory tests conducted by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.
According to the regional epidemiology unit, the patient tested positive for the Clade II variant of mpox, which is considered less severe compared to the Clade Ib strain. Authorities have not disclosed how the individual may have contracted the disease.
Ozamiz Mayor Henry Oaminal Jr. has ordered immediate contact tracing and urged residents experiencing symptoms to promptly seek medical attention. He reminded the public to observe health protocols.
“Follow DOH guidelines on hygiene and disinfection,” Oaminal advised, calling for community vigilance to prevent further spread of the virus.
