ISTANBUL 

The number of mpox cases climbed to 18 in the Philippines, the Southeast Asian nation’s health chief said on Monday.

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said five of the 18 infected patients “have recovered and released from isolation.”

The 11 other cases are undergoing home isolation.

“What’s good is, that all the 18 cases we picked up have not yet spread the virus to others,” Herbosa said.

He added the archipelago nation also saw dengue cases increase by 68% this year.

There are some 208,000 cases in the country.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern on Aug. 14, after the new variant that appears to spread more easily between people, was identified, emphasizing that mpox is “not the new COVID.”

According to the WHO, the African region is now experiencing an increase in cases, with 14 countries affected.

Almost all reported cases across Africa are in DR Congo, where the majority of the over 500 mpox deaths have been recorded.

Mpox infections cause flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions, and they spread through close physical contact. It can also be spread by touching virus-infected objects like bedding, clothing, and towels.

The disease is usually mild, but it can be fatal.

Vaccines, which are thought to be an important measure in preventing the spread, arrived in DR Congo recently.