Health officials in Kabankalan moved to calm public concern after identifying a suspected mpox case involving a bus driver currently confined at the Kabankalan City Hospital in Barangay Tabugon.
The City Health Office (CHO) on Monday, June 2, clarified that the case remains unconfirmed, as authorities continue to wait for the results of the confirmatory test.
Assistant City Health Officer Dr. Abigail Louice R. Jaboneta confirmed that they are monitoring only one suspected case at the moment.
Mpox is a re-emerging infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus. Once confined to certain parts of Africa, outbreaks have spread globally in recent years. The World Health Organization (WHO) officially renamed the virus to help combat stigma and discrimination.
Jaboneta also corrected misconceptions among residents, explaining that mpox differs from chickenpox, which some people mistakenly associate with the illness.
Jaboneta emphasized that improved surveillance and monitoring systems now allow the health sector to detect and control emerging and re-emerging diseases more efficiently.
She urged the public to stay calm and seek immediate medical attention if they develop symptoms such as rashes, fever, or body aches.
Transmission
WHO reported that mpox spreads primarily through close contact with someone infected, including household members. This contact can involve skin-to-skin (such as touching or sexual activity), mouth-to-mouth, or mouth-to-skin interactions (such as kissing).
It can also spread through face-to-face contact, like talking or breathing near an infected person, which can release infectious respiratory particles.
People with multiple sexual partners face a higher risk of contracting mpox.
In addition, individuals can acquire mpox from contaminated objects like clothing or linens, needle injuries in healthcare settings, or environments such as tattoo parlors.
Pregnant individuals can pass the virus to their baby during pregnancy or birth. Contracting mpox during pregnancy poses risks to the fetus or newborn, potentially leading to miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death, or complications for the parent, the health organization said.
It added that animal-to-human transmission of mpox occurs when humans come into contact with infected animals through bites, scratches, or activities like hunting, skinning, trapping, cooking, playing with carcasses, or eating animals.
Meanwhile, health researchers are still working to identify the animal reservoir of the monkeypox virus.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, contributes to Negros Daily Bulletin, and maintains a blog on Medium.