RITM patients test negative for Zika virus

There have been no confirmed cases of Zika virus in the country, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday, saying 827 patients tested for the mosquito-borne disease turned out to be free from infection.

In a press briefing Monday, Health Secretary Janette Garin disclosed that patients referred to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) who were suspected of having dengue or chikungunya were also tested for Zika. The patients tested negative for all the diseases, she said.

She added that the DOH listed Zika virus as a Category I disease, which means cases of suspected infection must be reported to the DOH Epidemiology Bureau within 24 hours. 

Garin said that all suspected cases of Zika virus will be tested for confirmation. She said that operational plans and national response guidelines are already in place in case of an outbreak of the disease.

She said that suspected cases should visit a doctor, who will then determine if the patient has a suspected case of Zika virus. If needed, the doctor is supposed to collect samples from the patient for checking at the nearest laboratory.

At the same briefing, Dr. Irma Asuncion, director of the DOH Epidemiology Bureau, said that in cases where no laboratories are available, the samples will be sent to RITM in Muntinlupa in Metro Manila. "What we are doing is already part of an existing system," she said. 

The briefing comes a week after an American woman who stayed in the Philippines for four weeks tested positive for the disease when she returned to the US.

READ: US woman gets Zika after Philippine visit

Garin said that regional DOH directors will hold meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday for updates on the disease. The department will also hold forums to inform the public about the disease. The meetings and forums are also meant to allay panic over Zika virus.

"When panic strikes, it can lead to complications," she said.

Garin said the DOH has been conducting surveillance on the disease but added that vector control - controlling how the disease might spread -- is the best way to deal with the threat posed by Zika.

"Cleanliness is still the key against mosquito-borne diseases," she said, stressing the need to destroy places where mosquitos might breed. She said that communities should be on the lookout for places where stagnant water could collect and where mosquitoes can lay eggs and where larvae can grow.

Among the symptoms of the Zika virus are fever, rashes, red eyes, joint pain, headaches and malaise. A history of recent travel to countries where the Zika virus has been reported will also be a factor in considering a suspected case. 

'No rise in microcephaly in Luzon'  

Garin meanwhile said that there has not been a significant increase in cases of microcephaly - or babies being born with smaller heads than average - in Luzon.

She said that not all mothers who have been infected by Zika virus will givge birth to babies with microcephaly.

She added that microcephaly can be caused by other factors, not just Zika virus. She said that eating uncooked meat, exposure to heavy metals and drinkng alcohol while pregnant can contribute to microcephaly.

Still, Garin said, pregnant women should be cautious against mosquito bites. - Jonathan de Santos