ANKARA

The Philippines has reported two new mpox cases, raising the tally of active cases in the country to five this year, the Health Ministry announced on Wednesday.

The new cases involve a 26-year-old woman from Manila and a 12-year-old boy from a region south of the capital, local English daily Manila Times reported, quoting Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa.

Both patients, who have the milder MPXV clade II, are recovering at home.

The Philippines reported its first mpox case of the year last week. Since July 2022, the country has recorded a total of 12 mpox cases.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the mpox situation a "public health emergency of international concern."

Since the beginning of 2024, over a dozen African countries have reported the disease, with the Democratic Republic of Congo accounting for more than 90% of the reported cases.

The variant of mpox detected in Africa is believed to be both more contagious and more deadly than the "clade II" variant, which was responsible for the global outbreak that began in 2022.

Formerly known as monkeypox, mpox is a viral disease that can spread through close contact and contaminated materials such as sheets, clothing, and needles, according to the WHO.