Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD

Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD

Get unlimited access to 10,000+ magazines, newspapers and Premium stories for just

$149.99
 
$74.99/Year

Try GOLD - Free

How dangerous is mpox?

Manila Bulletin

|

June 11 2025

Debunking mpox myths and how to keep safe

- DR. EDSEL MAURICE T. SALVANA

Shortly after another Covid-19 scare, fake news posts emerged about an impending lockdown due to mpox.

Mpox is the disease that used to be called monkeypox. There are many reasons for the name change, including decreasing misconceptions regarding the origins of the virus, fighting the stigma attached to the disease, and making it easier to spell in different languages. While monkeys can be infected and were the first animal hosts described by scientists, other animals can carry and transmit the infection. Some outbreaks have been linked to rodents, and the current outbreak is being driven by person-to-person transmission.

Confusingly, the virus itself is still called the monkeypox virus. There are two major clades of the virus: the deadlier clade I and the less deadly clade II. Clade I is endemic to Central Africa, particularly the Democratic Republic of Congo, while clade II is endemic to West Africa. In 2022, a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) was declared due to clade II. This specific clade II virus was eventually classified as a subclade (clade IIb) due to genetic differences from the original clade II (now called Clade IIa). Aside from the usual route of infection due to close contact and zoonotic transmission, clade IIb was also found to be sexually transmitted and caused a significant number of cases in the men who have sex with men population, especially in Europe and the US. Using a combination of targeted vaccination strategies and aggressive case finding, the PHEIC was declared over in 2023. Clade IIb, however, continued to circulate and became endemic in many countries, including the Philippines. Low-level community circulation has continued ever since, and cases are diagnosed sporadically, especially during times of heightened surveillance.

MORE STORIES FROM Manila Bulletin

Manila Bulletin

Manila Bulletin

Villar City helps shape a sustainable future for Metro South

There's no doubt that Metro South is on the cusp of growth.

time to read

3 mins

January 25, 2026

Manila Bulletin

Lea Salonga breaks silence on split: Finding joy after Robert Chien

Filipino Broadway superstar Lea Salonga admitted she has been separated from her former husband, Robert Chien, but said they are supportive of their son, Nic Chien.

time to read

2 mins

January 25, 2026

Manila Bulletin

The next growth frontiers

As the real estate industry steps into the next quarter-century, 2026 stands as a defining moment that calls for sharper foresight and bolder strategies. For this property outlook, we turn to industry leaders to weigh in on a central question: Which emerging markets and development models will shape the next wave of real estate expansion in 2026 and beyond? These insights help frame a forward-looking view of how capital, innovation, sustainability, and evolving urban needs will influence the direction of property in the years ahead.

time to read

4 mins

January 25, 2026

Manila Bulletin

Parenting forecast #1: Emotional regulation becomes a core parenting skill

From clinical practice and everyday interactions with families, there is growing awareness among parents that discipline and guidance cannot come solely from authority, rules, or reaction.

time to read

1 mins

January 25, 2026

Manila Bulletin

100,000 teachers to benefit from career upgrades in 2026 - DepEd

The Department of Education (DepEd) on Friday, January 23, announced that it is accelerating efforts to uplift the teaching profession by targeting up to 100,000 teacher career upgrades nationwide by 2026.

time to read

2 mins

January 25, 2026

Manila Bulletin

DiCaprio marks

Oscars milestone

time to read

3 mins

January 25, 2026

Manila Bulletin

1 M kids from Mindanao vaccinated in first week of 'Ligtas Tigdas' drive

More than one million children have been vaccinated in the first week of the \"Ligtas Tigdas\" vaccination campaign in Mindanao, the Department of Health (DOH) reported on Saturday, Jan. 24.

time to read

2 mins

January 25, 2026

Manila Bulletin

Sexual assault complaint against Julio Iglesias dropped

Spanish state prosecutors said Friday they were shelving an initial investigation into accusations of sexual assault by Julio Iglesias in the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic after concluding that Spain’s National Court lacked jurisdiction to judge the matter.

time to read

1 mins

January 25, 2026

Manila Bulletin

Parenting forecast #3: Breaking the cycle becomes the default for young Filipino parents

Many parents now find themselves caught between the ghost of their own upbringing and the reality of what they know doesn’t work.

time to read

1 min

January 25, 2026

Manila Bulletin

Manila Bulletin

Ukraine, Russia, US discuss fraught issue of territorial concessions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the future of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region would be a key focus as negotiators from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States meet in Abu Dhabi for talks to end Russia's nearly four-year full-scale invasion.

time to read

2 mins

January 25, 2026

Listen

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size