The Philippine government is closely monitoring the entry of all travelers from China amid the outbreak of a mysterious viral pneumonia.
Health Secretary Francis Duque III over the weekend said the Bureau of Quarantine (BoQ) is on alert and tightly watching travelers from all seaports and airports.
“All incoming travelers, especially those manifesting fever or signs of respiratory infection, shall be checked,” he disclosed as he called on the public, particularly those with a history of travel from China, to seek immediate medical consultation if experiencing any flu-like symptoms.
Diseases are quick to spread especially at high-traffic places like the airport, and the most recent outbreak occurred in Wuhan, China as 44 cases of “viral pneumonia of unknown origin” were reported. According to Nikkei, this flu-like virus is said to be linked to the highly-contagious SARS virus.
Source: Nikkei (For illustration purposes only)
The health chief ordered an intensified monitoring of all travelers following reports that 44 people have been infected with a mysterious viral pneumonia in China.
Citing reports from China, Duque said the mysterious disease is similar to a “viral pneumonia of unknown origin.”
Nurses treat a patient for an unknown ailment in the intensive care unit of the No1 Hospital in Guangzhou, China on June 12, 2003. (PETER PARKS/AFP/GettyImages)
The symptoms of this viral flu-like disease are similar to those of a respiratory tract infection, which include fever and difficulty in breathing. Although these symptoms sound just like our usual flu, the virus that causes this respiratory disease is actually unknown, and it’s yet to be identified.
A microbiologist from Hong Kong, Yuen Kwok-Yung explained that the current viral outbreak in Wuhan appeared “similar to the 1997 outbreak of bird flu and the SARS epidemic”. He also mentioned that there are chances animals carried the current virus.
Source: The Star
This makes sense when the report by Nikkei further explained that the initial lab tests showed no “human-to-human transmission” as no medical staff was infected. Most of the patients worked in a seafood wholesale market, according to the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission.
To make it simpler for you to understand the current situation:
- This unknown flu-like viral outbreak originated in Wuhan, China, and it hasn’t been identified, yet.
- The infection appears to be similar to the SARS virus, but it cannot be concluded as SARS.
- All infected individuals have been held in isolation.
- Initial lab tests showed no “human-to-human transmission”, and animals MAY be the carrier of this virus.
- Various Asian countries are taking precautionary measures at the international borders, and screenings are being carried out.
Unknown viruses are indeed terrifying, and we hope that the authorities from other countries and Malaysia will take appropriate actions to prevent the expansion of this outbreak. As for the people who are travelling to other Asian countries, stay safe and do consult a doctor if you happen to have any flu-like symptoms after travelling.
Source: The Star
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This article first appeared on The Philippine Star and World of Buzz.
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