DoH confirms first local A(H1N1) case

The patient was a 10-year- old girl who had traveled to Canada and the United States, two of the countries hardest hit by the outbreak, before returning Monday to the Philippines, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said. The girl, who has been confined in an undisclosed hospital, was tested for A(H1N1) when she developed a fever, cough and sore throat Tuesday in Manila. ?The patient was started on anti-viral and given supportive care,? Duque said. ?The patient no longer has fever and cough, but she still has sore throat.? The Department of Health instructed quarantine officials in airports and seaports around the Philippines to step up monitoring and surveillance of arriving passengers. Health Undersecretary Mario Villaverde said the department was also coordinating with the Department of Education to evaluate if there was a need to postpone the opening of school classes on June 1. Nervous parents called for a delay after the announcement of the confirmed case, but Villaverde said he believed there was no need. ?There is no community-level outbreak in the Philippines,? he said. ?So far, there is no indication whatsoever that we need to postpone the opening of classes?; Kazinform cites the Arab News. See www.arabnews.com for full version