DAVAO CITY — The Department of Health (DOH) in Southern Mindanao continues to monitor and check the spread of influenza AH1N1 virus in the region.
DOH-XI has documented 82 suspected cases of AH1N1 since May 12, 2009. 19 of these were admitted to hospitals while 19 were quarantined at home.
According to DOH, there at least four positive cases of AH1N1 in Mindanao. The first confirmed case, a four-year old boy from Butuan City had fully recovered, while the fourth confirmed case from Kidapawan City is still getting treatment and is recuperating at home.
Of the 82 cases that were observed, 48 tested negative while the results of the other 32 cases are still pending.
Swab samples taken from patients under observation are taken to the Regional Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Manila, the only AH1N1 testing laboratory in the country that is accredited by the World Health Organization (WHO). Plans are underway for Mindanao and Visayas to have their own laboratory to be able to detect the AH1N1 virus. In Mindanao, the plan is to have the lab at the Davao Medical Center, which also houses the isolation room for cases under observation.
There have been no reported case of AH1N1 death in the region but surveillance efforts in the region suffered a setback when Dr. Rogelio Peera, the chief of the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance unit (Rusu) tasked to head the flu monitoring and the dissemination of relevant information, was shot dead last June 24. The cause of his murder still unknown. (PIA XI)
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