7 persons under watch for bird-flu symptoms

The Department of Health (DOH) is monitoring the health of seven persons who have been exposed to infected fowls and have shown symptoms of flu. 

Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) director Dr. Soccoro Lupisan said the seven were placed under observation as part of steps to control the transmission of infectious diseases, including avian influenza, in the country.

Health Secretary Dr. Paulyn Ubial earlier announced that 30 people from Pampanga and four from Nueva Ecija — poultry farm workers and people culling chickens who have manifested flu-like symptoms — have all tested negative for bird flu.

Lupisan said nasopharyngeal swabs and blood samples have been taken from the seven and sent to the RITM for tests that would determine if they are positive or negative for avian flu.

‘’They will be isolated until we get negative results. That is our standard procedure,” she said in an interview.

She further said that the chances of patients recovering from H5N6, the bird flu strain found in the two provinces, are big especially when the patient’s symptoms are managed properly.

Meanwhile, Ubial allayed public fears that it is not safe to eat poultry and poultry products by eating chicken and eggs in front of the media.

Members of the press were also served the same food by suppliers of poultry and poultry products, in an effort to regain public confidence in eating chicken.

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.