TARLAC recorded its first confirmed case of monkeypox (mpox) on Tuesday, according to the Provincial Health Office (PHO).
PHO head Dr. Jeannette Lazatin said the Department of Health (DOH) and local government units have begun contact tracing to prevent further transmission.
“The patient is now isolated to prevent further transmission. It is also the season for chickenpox, and both mpox and chickenpox have the same symptoms,” Lazatin said.
The DOH earlier assured the public that all confirmed mpox cases in the country remain mild and self-limiting.
“The situation has not changed. All mpox cases are the milder and self-healing Clade II, not Clade Ib that has a higher mortality,” said DOH spokesperson Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo.
Domingo added that while more suspect, probable, and confirmed mpox cases have been reported this year compared to 2023, all cases have been properly documented by local health authorities.
