MANILA -- The 34 people from Pampanga and Nueva Ecija who have manifested flu-like symptoms have all tested negative for avian influenza, Health Secretary Dr. Paulyn Ubial said Friday.
"As of Aug. 24, 2017, there has been no confirmed human case due to Influenza A (H5N6)," Ubial told reporters during a media briefing held at the Department of Health’s (DOH) media relations unit in Tayuman, Sta. Cruz, Manila.
She said the patients have been isolated as a precautionary measure, as they awaited the results of tests conducted by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).
The patients -- poultry farm workers and those involved in the culling of chickens – exhibited the symptoms of flu, such as fever, cough, sore throat, and muscle pain, and were administered the antiviral medicine, Oseltamivir.
Citing a World Health Organization (WHO) report, Ubial said the H5N6 strain of bird flu, which was found in China in 2014 and is the strain found in Pampanga and Nueva Ecija, is rarely transmitted to humans.
"In fact, in China, only 20 cases were recorded, with only two deaths out of 20," she said, noting that it is not as fatal as the H1N1 strain, which according to WHO has a 50-percent mortality rate.
Meanwhile, Ubial said her department has been coordinating with the Department of Agriculture (DA) in ensuring that poultry and poultry products are safe to eat.
She said the DOH has been actively disseminating public health advisories on how to prevent the transmission of the avian flu virus to humans.
In Central Luzon, the Dr. Jose B. Lingad Memorial Medical Center in San Fernando City, Pampanga and the Dr. Paulino Garcia Memorial and Research Medical Center in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija have been designated to collect nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) and blood samples for laboratory analysis.
The department has also prepared Oseltamivir, personal protective equipment, and negative pressure rooms, which allow air to flow into the isolation room but not escape from it to prevent contamination.
It has also boosted the capability of the RITM’s laboratories and has trained health workers in dealing with infectious diseases.
“I call on everyone to be vigilant, follow the advisories issued by concerned government agencies and be equipped with the right information about the disease," Ubial said. (PNA)
