By Katrina Gracia Consebido
The Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Dr. Abdullah Dumama Jr., said on Monday, May 23, that the monkeypox virus is less fatal compared to COVID-19.
Monkeypox, Dumama Jr. noted, is a zoonotic disease which originally emerged in the tropical rainforest of west and central Africa.
“Ang monkeypox ay kabilang sa orthopoxvirus genus kung saan kabilang rin dito ang smallpox. Isa itong reemerging disease na nagmula sa tropical rainforest sa West and Central Africa,” Dumama said during Duterte’s taped Talk to the People.
According to Dumama, monkeypox can either be transmitted from human-to-human by droplets, body fluids, infected skin, and contaminated clothes or linen or can be transmitted through animal-to-human through animal bites, raw or minimally processed wild meat, or contaminated materials.
“Bagaman hindi pa natutukoy ang natural reservoir nito, karaniwan pong natutukoy ito sa mga rodents at primates, ibig sabihin niyan mga daga. Bilang isang zoonotic disease, pwede po itong maipasa, una, human-to-human. Kung human-to-human, it’s through droplets, body fluids or infected skin na may crack o contaminated clothing or linen,” Dumama said.
“Ang ikalawa pong route of transmission ay animal-to-human. Pwede pong kagat o bite ng human o scratches, animal to human, raw or minimally processed wild meat o contaminated materials,” he added.
Dumama noted that monkeypox is not a “virulent virus” which is a less contagious disease.
“Mayroon din pong fatality ito, fatality rate na at least 1% lamang po. Hindi naman ho ito gaanong ganoon kavirulent at hindi ito nagbibigay ng malalang sakit, mahal na Pangulo,” he added.
The common symptoms of monkeypox are flu, rashes, and swelling of lymph nodes. Cases of monkeypox have been recorded in the United States, Canada, Australia, and other European countries.
Meanwhile, Dumama said DOH and other national agencies already intensified their screening process in Philippine borders to prevent the disease from entering the country.
“Ating pagtitibayin ang screening process sa ating mga borders upang maiwasan ang pagpasok ng monkeypox sa bansa. Atin din pong hinihimok ang mahigit — ang mahigpit na pagsunod sa ating minimum public health standards,” Dumama said. – gb
