The Quezon City Government has recorded its first mpox (previously known as monkeypox) case, a week after the Department of Health (DOH) reported the country’s first case this year.
The patient, a 37-year-old man and a resident of Quezon City, is currently admitted at the San Lazaro Hospital. He started exhibiting symptoms on August 16, 2024 and got admitted to the hospital six days later.
The medical personnel collected the patient’s specimen and was brought to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM). On August 26, the result came out positive.
Based on the initial case investigation report of the Quezon City Health Department’s (QCHD) Epidemiology and Surveillance Division (QCESD), the patient has a recent local travel history.
“Sa ngayon, mahigpit nating binabantayan ang kalagayan ng residente. Natukoy na rin natin ang 15 contacts niya at patuloy natin silang mino-monitor,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said.
Aside from the first mpox case of the city, the QCESD is also continuously monitoring the contacts exposed from the Infinity Spa and Fahrenheit Club (F Club), which were both ordered closed temporarily by the city government.
Since the detection of the first mpox case this year, the city has activated its own prevention, control, and response protocols. All healthcare workers in the city also underwent orientation in reporting and handling mpox cases.
Mayor Belmonte also called on establishment owners to cooperate and comply with the city’s contact tracing efforts to curb the spread of the virus and ensure QCitizens’ safety and welfare.
To streamline and strengthen the city’s response to mpox, the city government has also established the QC Task Force MPOX through Executive Order 14 series of 2024, consisting of various city government departments and offices.
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