Author: Jun Ariolo Aguirre (305 Articles)

ILOILO City – A 64-year-old woman reportedly from Balete, Aklan is now suspected of having been infected with Influenza A H1N1 virus is now confined at a hospital here.

Department of Health 6 (DOH-6) Director Ariel Valencia said the patient was admitted on Monday at the Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) in Mandurriao district after she had a fever on May 16, four days after she arrived from a vacation in Daly City, California on May 12.

The patient, who is a native of Balete, Aklan, complained of abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, cough and sore throat.

Valencia said these are some symptoms of the dreaded A H1N1 virus but the case is not confirmed yet.

Upon the advice of her son who is a doctor in the United States, she was confined at the WVMC and had her specimen taken for laboratory tests.

“She’s now under observation. Probably tomorrow, we may have the result of the test,” Valencia said.

The specimen, just like those taken from suspected cases in Cebu City, will be brought to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Manila to test for common flu viruses.

If the tests are negative for common flu viruses, then the patient could be infected with the A H1N1 virus.

The specimen will then be brought to laboratories in Australia and the US Center for Disease Control, which will confirm whether the case is Influenza A H1N1.

According to the DOH, from May 1, a total of 62 cases under observation in different government and private hospitals had their specimen tested at the RITM. Sixty-one of which were negative for the A H1N1 virus.

The cases had a history of travel from countries with confirmed A H1N1 cases such as Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States of America.

The World Health Organization reported that India, Malaysia and Turkey have cases on the virus.

The DOH urged all individuals who traveled to countries with confirmed Influenza A H1N1 cases to closely monitor their health. Should they develop flu-like symptoms, they are advised to seek immediate medical test.