MANILA — An infectious diseases expert on Monday dismissed calls for a lockdown amid the presence of monkeypox in the country.

According to Dr. Rontgene Solante, the country's 4 confirmed infections of the disease are "not enough yet" to tighten restrictions.

"Well, that's overacting in terms of lockdown as an option for monkeypox infection," he said in a televised public briefing.

"We know that monkeypox is not as highly transmissible as COVID. So, I don't think a lockdown is a solution," he added.

Solante, head of the adult infectious diseases unit of San Lazaro Hospital, instead called on government to intensify surveillance of the disease and heighten protocols in hospitals.

• DOH rejects lockdown due to monkeypox cases

The Department of Health last week rejected imposing a lockdown following the detection of a monkeypox case in Iloilo.

The agency made the remark in response to the Negros Occidental local government's plan of possibly tightening regulations in seaports to ensure strict health screening of passengers coming from Iloilo.

The country's fourth monkeypox patient, a 25-year-old Filipino, has no documented travel history to or from any country with confirmed cases of the disease.

The DOH is still investigating the patient's possible source of infection. The country's first 3 monkeypox cases were linked to travel.

• Negros Occ. handang maghigpit matapos magtala ang Iloilo ng monkeypox case

Solante said it was premature to determine whether or not there was local transmission of monkeypox.

"It's too early to say meron na tayong local transmission but given the fact na itong pang-4 na kaso ay walang history of travel, then the likelihood of a local transmission can be there," he said.

The World Health Organization last month designated the outbreak of monkeypox an emergency — something it reserves for diseases of highest concern.

Symptoms of monkeypox — which is endemic in parts of Central and Western Africa — include lesions, fever, muscle ache and chills. It has only been fatal in rare cases.

In contrast to previous outbreaks in Africa, the virus is predominantly spread from intimate contact — though it is not a sexually transmitted disease.

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Video courtesy of PTV

— With a report from Agence France-Presse