THE Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday disclosed that of the 10 suspected cases of Influenza A (H1N1) under observation, five were found negative for the flu virus while the other five are still being monitored.
?The five suspected cases who were under observation manifested having fever [after or during their arrival] except for one person in Cebu who manifested cough,? Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said, but added that there was no manifestation yet of diarrhea and vomiting, which are among the signs of the flu virus.
Four of the suspected H1N1 cases are Filipinos; the six others are foreigners with ages ranging from nine to 80 years old; seven are males and three are females.
In Zamboanga City, a US military official who heads the American forces temporarily deployed to the Philippines gave assurances that no US soldier will be sent to the country, particularly to Zamboanga City, if and when he is a carrier of the dreaded H1N1 virus.
Col. William Coultrup, chief of the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P), stressed that all US troops undergo predeployment medical screening prior to every deployment.
?All unit deployments are accompanied by medical personnel who monitor and treat the well-being of all deployed troops. If any troop is exhibiting symptoms of the flu, then they will not be deployed to Zamboanga City until they are healthy,? Coultrup said.
His pronouncement was in reaction to the statements of City Health Officer Dr. Rodelin Agbulos and Councilor Rogelio Valesco expressing the need to subject US military personnel to thermal scanning, with Valesco also suggesting that the US also provide the thermal scanner, in light of the global spread of H1N1.
This concern was also raised by the Presidential Commission on the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFAComm), which said that US military personnel entering the Philippines for military exercises must undergo medical checks amid government measures to restrict entry of foreigners and returning nationals who may be carriers of the H1N1 virus.
VFAComm head Edilberto Adan said there will be no exemptions in implementing the government health measures in preventing the H1N1 virus outbreak.
?The VFA [treaty] clearly states that it is the duty of the United States personnel to respect the laws of the Republic of the Philippines,? said Adan in a statement on Wednesday.
Adan said the entering US personnel should also comply ?with any and all entry formalities including undergoing thermal scanning?.
Although provisions of the VFA treaty exempt military vessels and aircraft from undergoing quarantine inspection, it is based on the international practice.
He said: ?This exemption does not apply to individual military personnel who are disembarking.?
Everyone vulnerable
?Everybody is vulnerable to H1N1 influenza but the young and old are more at risk,? Duque said at a press conference at the Health office in Tayuman, Manila.
Of the five patients suspected carrying the virus, two are male Filipinos, aged 32 years and 29 years. One of them came from Ireland and the other from US. One was taken to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Cebu, and the other one, to San Lazaro Hospital in Manila.
Of the three foreigners, two are male Koreans aged nine and 12 years, who were taken to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicines in Alabang, Muntinlupa; while the other one, a female, is from the United Kingdom and was taken to VSMMC.
The Filipino and his wife came from Ireland via Hong Kong. DOH Central Visayas regional director Susana Madarieta said the chances of the travelers getting the virus are slim, considering there was just one case of the virus recorded in Ireland and Hong Kong.
?It is possible that he is just dehydrated,? she said.
?There is no reason for us to panic. What we are doing now is for you to know and see what the government is doing,? Duque said.
WHO information on Wednesday said 22 countries have officially reported 1,516 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection. Mexico has reported 822 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 29 deaths. The United States has reported 403 confirmed cases, including one death.
DOH National Epidemiology Center head Dr. Eric Tayag said there is an indication that containment of the virus may not be possible in the country.
?But we will still continue the household quarantine. We will also check the manifesto of the passengers,? Tayag said.
So far, the DOH has a stockpile of 700,000 Tamiflu, 100,000 in the Government Service Insurance System and 1.170 million in the private hospitals.
Duque said the Health department still needs 300,000 Tamiflu worth P80 million.
?We have already alerted our US medical personnel in Zamboanga [City] to closely monitor our forces and if they identify any symptom, then we will quarantine our personnel,? Coultrup said.
He said US soldiers who are temporarily deployed in the Philippines for the next three to six months had arrived before the outbreak of H1N1.
?All of our major changeovers have already occurred and I?m not anticipating any major changeover in the next two months,? Coultrup explained.
This means, Coultrup said, that the next batch of soldiers arriving from the United States would arrive by July.
At least 200 soldiers come and depart the Philippines every three to six months.(S. Fabunan, W. Rodolfo III, B. Garcia Jr. and E. Torres)
