Iloilo City's mpox cases rise to 4

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ILOILO CITY — Confirmed cases of mpox or monkeypox in Iloilo City have climbed to four, with two additional cases under monitoring, local health officials confirmed on Monday, June 2.

"All patients are in stable condition, currently receiving medical treatment and are under isolation," said City Health Office (CHO) head Dr. Mary Ann Poli-Diaz in a press conference.

The CHO recorded the city's first mpox case on May 28, 2025.

The three additional confirmed cases were previously tagged as suspects but tested positive after laboratory results from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).

Poli-Diaz clarified that the new cases did not have close contact with the first patient.

The first case, she added, is nearing the end of the 21-day monitoring period but is still in isolation as lesions have not fully healed.

Some of the confirmed cases are adults with existing comorbidity. None of the confirmed cases have traveled recently, but one of their companions has a recent travel history.

The CHO said it are still investigating the source of the infection.

Poli-Diaz added that some close contacts of the infected individuals are in the community, but emphasized that asymptomatic individuals are not required to be isolated under Department of Health (DOH) guidelines.

"We cannot isolate if there are no signs and symptoms. But If you have signs and symptoms, we highly recommend that you isolate yourself and seek immediate medical consultation," she said.

Individuals exposed to a suspected or confirmed mpox case but without symptoms should self-monitor for 21 days, practice hygiene, and avoid contact with vulnerable persons.

Only those with symptoms or confirmed infection must isolate, according to DOH guidelines.

Poli-Diaz acknowledged the challenge of contact tracing when asymptomatic individuals later test positive.

"We highly recommend self-isolating, especially if you are a close contact despite being asymptomatic, though we do not have guidelines for mandatory isolation," she said.

The CHO head added that they cannot confirm yet if there is an outbreak and community transmission, as the DOH does not have guidelines yet to define such declarations.

'Not alarming'

Poli-Diaz said the situation is not considered alarming yet, but said that vigilance and caution among residents is still necessary.

"I would define alarming if we have an increasing number of cases. We're still waiting for my additional reports from our Surveillance and Epidemiology. Hopefully, we won't have any more cases," she said.

She also said that while the disease is contagious, the public should not be alarmed, as preventive measures are in place.

Mpox is primarily spread through close or intimate contact with an infected person or through contact with contaminated objects.

While there is some risk from respiratory droplets, Poli-Diaz said mandatory wearing of face masks will not yet be imposed, as the bigger concern is physical contact with infected skin.

Although there is no mandate to wear face masks, the CHO still highly encourages it due to ongoing Covid-19 risks and other viral infections.

The CHO is working with the city government, barangay, schools, workplaces, and border checkpoints to strengthen preventive efforts.

Poli-Diaz also said the city government will be requesting permission from the RITM to conduct its own testing using the Uswag Molecular Laboratory in Barangay San Pedro, Molo, to reduce turnaround time for results.

Preparations are also underway to identify a possible temporary isolation facility in case of a surge in cases.