H1N1 Confirmed in Philippines



Health Secretary Francisco Duque on Thursday evening announced the first case of influenza A (H1N1) in the Philippines.

Duque, who is currently at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, said in a teleconference that a Filipina patient who came from a trip last May 18 tested positive for the A (H1N1) virus.

The ten-year-old girl, who is not yet identified, already showed symptoms - fever, cough, and sore throat - upon arrival in the country. She came from a trip to the United States and Canada.

He said that the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) got hold of tissue samples from the patient last May 20, and confirmed Thursday that she tested positive for the virus.

The patient is currently being treated at an undisclosed medical facility, Duque said.

He also said that contact tracing is already ongoing. The patient's family has been informed and has been asked to perform self-monitoring and quarantine. With a report from dzMM


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