DOH: No flu outbreak, HIV-infected fish
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health yesterday dismissed as hoaxes reports of an influenza outbreak in the country.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III also debunked online reports that some fish in the country are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
“I have not received from our Epidemiology Bureau that there is an unusual spike in cases of whatever illness or any influenza-like illness,” Duque said in an interview.
Duque noted that the DOH’s Epidemiology Bureau regularly monitors and will immediately notify him if there is an outbreak of any illness in the country.
But based on data from the bureau, the incidence of influenza nationwide dropped by 17 percent in 2018 compared to 2017, from 153,000 cases to 126,000.
Reports of outbreaks of influenza have been circulating online for the past week.
Duque also cited as fake news reports that due to hospital waste being thrown in rivers, there are now fish infected with HIV.
“Fish cannot be infected with HIV, only humans. That’s why it’s called human immunodeficiency virus,” he said.
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