Health Secretary Janette Garin (right) talks to the media along with toxicologists from government hospitals, Dr. Visitacion Antonio (center) and Dr. Benjamin Yson, on Monday. The officials assured the public on the safety of milk teas and that the poisoning incident is an isolated case. (MNS photo)
MANILA, Mar 14 (Mabuhay) – The Department of Health on Monday dismissed rumors about an alleged rise in the incidence of infants with microcephaly in the Philippines.
The assurance comes amid concerns about the threat posed by the mosquito-borne Zika virus raging in Latin America.
There is nothing alarming about the statistics regarding babies who have an abnormally small head compared to their bodies, said Health Secretary Janette Garin.
“Kung meron mang microcephaly na nandito sa Pilipinas, hindi ito alarming at hindi ito biglaang nagbago as of the current moment in the parts of Luzon,” she said in a press conference.
Garin is trying to dispelling reports that cases of microcephaly have doubled and even tripled in the country, particularly at the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Manila and other government hospitals in Luzon.
Although microcephaly has been linked to Zika virus, the Health secretary said the birth defect has several potential causes, many of which remain unknown.
Among the common causes of microcephaly are: infections in the womb, including Zika virus; consumption of undercooked meat by pregnant women; rubella; herpes; Cytomegalovirus; HIV infection; genetic abnormalities such as Down syndrome; severe malnutrition during fetal life; and extreme stress experienced by the expectant mother.
In addition, Garin said microcephaly may also result from pregnant women’s exposure to heavy metals such as arsenic and mercury, alcohol, radiation and smoking.
Absence of symptoms
While there is no surge in the number of babies with microcephaly, the DOH official advised pregnant women to be wary of mosquito bites, citing the absence of symptoms in 80 percent of those infected with Zika virus.
“While Zika virus is asymptomatic in 80 percent of the cases, the effect on the result of the pregnancy should not be discounted as the virus has been linked to congenital central nervous system malformation like microcephaly, and has also been linked to the Guillain-Barre syndrome,” Garin said.
The DOH earlier advised pregnant women not to get pregnant until more information is gathered about the Zika virus, which has been linked to thousands of cases of birth defects in Latin America.
The World Health Organization has declared an international public health emergency over the virus.
According to the WHO the following countries have reported microcephaly cases which may be linked to Zika virus: Brazil, 745; French Polynesia, eight; Hawaii and Slovenia, one each.
Earlier this month, the DOH said an American woman who tested positive for Zika may have contracted the virus in the Philippines.
At the press conference Monday, Garin revealed that Zika virus is now included under the Category 1 classification of the Philippine Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response system.
This means that all suspected cases of Zika virus shall be reported within 24 hours by the local epidemiology bureau to the regional health surveillance units in the country.
No automatic confirmation
Garin emphasized that a report on a suspected case does not automatically mean a patient is confirmed to have the Zika virus infection.
“[The cases] have to undergo a process of verification and validation,” she said.
The other diseases on the Category 1 list are the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Ebola virus infection.
The Health Secretary also emphasized that the surveillance system for monitoring suspected Zika cases is not new and has been in place even for other infectious diseases.
“What we want to establish is a uniform case definition of Zika suspected cases and guidelines for monitoring Zika infection and possible complications,” she said.
Garin advised those experiencing mild fever, skin rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pains and fatigue to see a doctor so their condition can be immediately diagnosed.
The DOH has activated six testing centers for the Zika virus: the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Muntinlupa City, Baguio General Hospital in Baguio City, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City, Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City, Lung Center of the Philippines in Quezon City, and San Lazaro Hospital in Manila City.
At present, Garin said the 827 patients suspected to be infected with Zika virus tested negative. (MNS)