Flu-like illness in Cagayan de Oro not Nipah, says DOH

Some classes in Cagayan de Oro City have been held online after many students caught flu-like illnesses.

According to Tina Panganiban-Perez's report on “24 Oras," the Department of Health (DOH) allayed fears that the uptick in cases was due to the Nipah virus, a bat-borne, zoonotic virus spreading in India.

“Meron lang po talagang pagtaas ng mga kaso ng flu-like illness and it’s not just happening in Cagayan de Oro,” said DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.

(There’s an increase in cases of flu-like illness and it’s not just happening in Cagayan de Oro.)

According to the DOH, there were significant differences in the symptoms between the Nipah virus and flu-like illnesses. While both cause fever, patients with the viral infection also experience convulsions and confusion.

Nipah virus likewise causes body aches, fatigue, headaches, sleepiness, faint spells, and swelling of the brain. There is still no approved medication against the virus.

“40 to 75%, ayon sa aming alam, ang maaaring mamatay,” said DOH Undersecretary Eric Tayag.

(From what we know, around 40% to 75% of the patients die.)

“Kaya mahirap siyang kumalat, namamatay agad yung dinapuan niyan. Hindi katulad ng covid na nag-umpisang marami-raming namamatay hanggang sa naging mild na lang. Mabilis makahawa,” said Tayag.

(The patients die, that's why it is not easy to spread.)

There had been a Nipah virus outbreak in the Philippines in 2014, which caused the deaths of several individuals and horses in Sultan Kudarat.

University of the Philippines (UP) Institute of Biological Sciences Associate Professor Phillip Alveoli explained that bats emit the Nipah virus when in stressful situations including when their habitats are being disturbed.

“We’ve been encroaching into wildlife habitat. Converted into agricultural areas for urban development. It’s just time that we’ll be having this close contact with wildlife animals,” he said.

For its part, the DOH reminded the public to exercise minimum public health standards to prevent the spread of the virus including wearing face masks, and frequent hand washing.

“Thoroughly wash the fruits and the food that we eat, especially those that we get from our backyards kasi marami nga pong fruit bats dito,” said Vergeire.

(Thoroughly wash the fruits and the food that we eat, especially those that we get from our backyards because there are a lot of fruit bats in the country.) —NB, GMA Integrated News