The 10 suspected cases of mpox in Bacolod City and the province of Negros Occidental have been declared negative, City Health Office (CHO) data showed yesterday.

Dr. Grace Tan, head of the CHO Environment Sanitation Division, said six are from this highly urbanized city, while the four are from different parts of the province.

“Those admitted in hospitals are transferred from isolation once the results turn out negative. The management is different after the patient is identified as negative,” she said in an interview.

Mpox, a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, usually starts with flu-like symptoms, including fever, muscle aches and fatigue. Rashes develop within a few days.

In the Philippines, detected mpox cases were caused by clade II, a mild variant of the virus and different from clade I, which is causing deaths in Africa, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa earlier said.

Herbosa advised the public to remain on alert, but not alarmed, and prevent the spread by avoiding close and intimate physical contact.

“Clean your hands often with soap and water or alcohol-based sanitizers. Avoid skin-to-skin contact,” he said. (PNA)