Amid rise in mpox cases: Strict health measures pushed in Iloilo airport, seaports

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor 

The Iloilo City Council passed a resolution urging the Iloilo International Airport in Cabatuan and the city’s seaports to implement safety measures to prevent the spread of monkeypox (mpox).

The resolution, authored by Councilor Alan Zaldivar, chair of the Committee on Health, Sanitation, and Hospital Services, was unanimously approved on Wednesday, September 4.

“It is important to impose strict health measures at our airports and ports to prevent the spread of mpox in Iloilo City and neighboring areas,” the resolution stated.

The resolution recommended installing thermal scanners at airports and ports and increasing visual surveillance by officers.

“Surveillance may also be enhanced by implementing a health declaration system,” it added.

Zaldivar noted that while travel and trade via airports and ports contribute to economic development, they can also pose public health risks, especially with the increasing number of confirmed mpox cases.

“High traffic at airports and ports can play a significant role in the spread of diseases through people, conveyances, and goods,” he emphasized.

The Department of Health (DOH) reported that there are currently eight active mpox cases in the country, following the confirmation of three new cases—two in Metro Manila and one in the Calabarzon region.

Mpox can spread through close or intimate contact with an infected person or animal, as well as through exposure to contaminated materials, such as wounds, body fluids, and respiratory droplets.

Infection with the mpox virus begins with an incubation period during which the person shows no symptoms. Symptoms typically appear within 21 days of exposure to the virus.

Common mpox symptoms include skin rash or mucosal lesions that can last two to four weeks, along with fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.

The DOH Western Visayas office (DOH-6) said it has not received any reports of suspected mpox cases in the region.