MANILA, Philippines - A 10-year-old Filipino girl who had traveled to the United States and Canada was found positive for Influenza A(H1N1), making her the first confirmed case in the Philippines.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III announced this last night in a teleconference from the World Health Organization (WHO) office in Geneva, Switzerland.
"We now have the first confirmed case of Influenza A(H1N1) in the Philippines... The discovery of this first case is something we have been preparing for," said Duque.
The girl arrived in the Philippines last May 18, and eventually developed fever, cough, and sore throat the next day.
Swab throat samples were taken from the girl who is now confined in an "undisclosed health facility."
Duque said the samples were examined and confirmed at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) using the A(H1N1) testing kits donated by the Atlanta-based Center for Disease Control and Prevention through polymerase chain reaction machines.
"The patient was started on anti-viral and given supportive care. The patient no longer has fever and cough, but she still has sore throat," he added.
The family and those who had close contact with her have already been advised to go on quarantine.
"We advise the public not to panic. There is no community level outbreak. Measures are being implemented to prevent transmission," Duque said.
DOH Undersecretary Mario Villaverde said the results of the laboratory tests would be sent to a WHO-accredited laboratory in Melbourne, Australia.
He added the co-passengers of the girl in the plane home would be contacted to advise them to observe self-quarantine.
Villaverde had also urged the public to observe personal hygiene, take nutritional food, get enough sleep, take vitamin C, and drink lots of water and fruit juices to strengthen their immune system.
"If you can postpone travelling to other affected areas, that would be good for you," he advised the public.
(UPDATE) DOH: A(H1/N1) patient improving!
ReplyDeleteThe condition of the 10-year-old Filipino girl who was found positive for Influenza A(H1N1) – the country’s first case of the dreaded disease — is improving, an official of the Department of Health (DOH) said today.
“She no longer has fever and cough, only sore throat,” said Dr. Eric Tayag, chief of DOH's National Epidemiology Center, in a press conference this morning.
The girl arrived in the country last May 18, and eventually developed fever, cough and sore throat the next day. She is reportedly currently confined in an “undisclosed health facility.”
By Dino Maragay of philstar.com