The Philippines has reported a new case of mpox, marking the first instance of the virus since December of last year. The patient, a 33-year-old Filipino male with no recent travel history, is currently being tested to identify the specific strain, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

The World Health Organization has recently declared mpox a global public health emergency due to an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has spread to neighboring countries. A new variant of the virus has been identified, raising concerns about its ease of transmission through close contact.

Read more: Pakistan Reports one Mpox Case as European Agency Issues an Alert

Sweden confirmed a case of this new variant on Thursday, linked to an increasing outbreak in Africa, marking the virus’s spread beyond the continent. Pakistan also reported a case on Friday in a patient who had recently returned from a Gulf country, though the strain remains unknown.

In the Philippines, this latest case is the 10th confirmed instance of mpox, with the first recorded case in July 2022. The patient began experiencing symptoms over a week ago, starting with a fever followed by a distinct rash on various parts of the body.

Mpox, caused by the monkeypox virus, generally causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. While typically mild, it can be severe or fatal, particularly for children, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems, such as those with HIV.