Philippine reports 2 new SARS suspects

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, January 06, 2004

Philippine reports 2 new SARS suspects

The Philippine Department of Health (DOH) Monday reported a Filipino woman and her husband as two new Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) suspects.

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The Philippine Department of Health (DOH) Monday reported a Filipino woman and her husband as two new Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) suspects.

The two new suspected SARS cases, with the same name initial of "MD," include a 42-year-old domestic helper, who returned home from China's Hong Kong and her 43-year-old husband, who are residing in the northern Philippine province of Laguna, the Philippines News Agency quoted Doctor Yolly Oliveros, DOH chief executive assistant, as saying.

The wife, Oliveros said, arrived in the Philippines on Dec. 20,2003 and manifested the SARS symptoms of fever, cough, and difficulty of breathing and was rushed to Laguna Provincial Hospital on Jan. 1.

Because of history indexing pinpointing to the wife as highly qualified as SARS suspect based on case definition, the DOH official said, she was rushed to Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, one of the two government major referral hospitals, in Manila.

Her husband was also rushed to the institute on Jan. 4 after he also developed low grade fever and cough, Oliveros said.

She said the couple were already subjected to polymerase chain reaction to determine if they are positive to corona virus which causes SARS, the results of which are expected in weeks. X-rays and pharyngeal swabs were also conducted, she added.

Meanwhile, Doctor Luningning Villa, the DOH-designated SARS spokesperson, said the wife's X-ray revealed that she has pneumonia. However, she clarified that the woman could not still be labeled as SARS probable case because pneumonia can be due to other causes. Also, the SARS five-man expert panel would be the one who would do the labeling of cases.

According to Oliveros, the husband is now stable and afebrile, but the wife is still with fever.

Considered as close contacts, the health official assured that couple's two children are under home confinement or quarantine for monitoring. The doctor who initially treated the woman has reportedly also been isolated as a precautionary measure but has shown no symptoms.

The DOH has started contact tracing of the couple's relatives in Laguna as well as other people whom they have come in contact with, Oliveros assured.

Likewise, Oliveros said the DOH's National Epidemiology Center and the Hong Kong health department are already coordinating to determine the source of infection. Her employer has already been informed, she added.

She, however, said it is the World Health Organization (WHO) which will ultimately evaluate and label SARS cases.

Despite the development or the possible resurgence of the dreaded SARS, Oliveros has assured that the government is prepared with well in-placed facilities all over the country.

The WHO declared the Philippines as SARS-free and out of the list of countries affected by the disease on May 20, 2003.

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