By Edwin Fernandez
COTABATO CITY – The Bangsamoro health ministry confirmed two mpox (monkeypox) cases in Maguindanao del Norte this week while monitoring six other potential infections, officials said Wednesday.
Both recovered patients include a 59-year-old woman from Sultan Kudarat and a 28-year-old woman from Datu Odin Sinsuat, according to Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Health Minister Dr. Kadil Sinolinding.
“Contact tracing is underway for their recent close contacts,” he said in an online briefing.
Six suspected cases —three from Cotabato City and one each from Sultan Kudarat, Parang, and Datu Montawal—are undergoing confirmatory testing at Manila’s Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.
“All are cooperating with health protocols while we await results,” Sinolinding added.
The ministry urged residents to report potential symptoms immediately, underscoring early detection prevents transmission. (PNA)
