DOH confirms three additional cases of Zika

DOH Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial. (PNA photo)

MANILA – Three new cases of local transmission of Zika virus infection were confirmed by the Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday.

In a press briefing held at the DOH Media Relations Unit in Tayuman, Sta. Cruz, Manila, Health Secretary Dr. Paulyn Jean B. Rosell-Ubial said that of the new cases, two were reported in Iloilo City and one in Antipolo City.

“We now have a total of 15 confirmed cases of Zika virus out of 264 suspected cases reported nationwide from Jan.

1 to Oct. 4, 2016,” she said.

She added the there was no pregnant woman among the three new cases, thus maintaining the number of pregnant woman that got sick with Zika in the country to just one.

Dr. Ubial said that out of the 15 confirmed Zika cases, 12 were from Iloilo, one from Cebu, one from Muntinlupa City and one from Antipolo City.

Antipolo was previously not on the list of areas with confirmed Zika cases.

The DOH said Zika is actually a milder infection compared to dengue.

Most of the confirmed Zika cases did not require hospitalization and confinement.

The patients confirmed with the virus were just managed at home. All of them displayed symptoms such as rashes, fever and joint pains.

The Zika cases were confirmed through tests conducted on the blood and urine samples of the suspected cases in the DOH’s Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Alabang, Muntinlupa City.

Since the cases were classified as local transmission and the vector Aedis aegypti mosquito as one of the causes, the DOH Chief repeated the call to the public to practice the “4S” campaign.

The “4S” campaign means “Search and destroy; use Self-protection measures; Seek early consultation for fevers lasting more than two days; and Say yes to fogging when there is an impending outbreak.”

“This is a global concern… While we do not want the people to panic, we should not be complacent also about it at the same time,” Secretary Ubial reminded.