A(H1N1) community-level outbreak declared in Nueva Ecija village

MANILA – The first community-level outbreak of influenza A (H1N1) in the Philippines has been declared by the Department of Health (DOH) on Sunday in a village in Jaen town, Nueva Ecija province.

Dr. Eric Tayag of the National Epidemiology Center, in a text message to ABS-CBN News, confirmed the declaration. He said that there is already a confirmed "community [-level] transmission" of the virus in Barangay Hilera in Jaen.

The declaration was done by the DOH upon the approval of Health Secretary Francisco Duque as 92 contacts of the 11 cases found positive of the virus also exhibited symptoms of the illness, and after two weeks of surveillance.

The 11 confirmed cases in Jaen town are composed of 10 students of Hilera Elementary School and a four-year-old child.

Doctors and local health officials have also been visiting the homes of 57 other students of the elementary school who have exhibited flu symptoms.

Classes in the school are still suspended and local officials have said the suspension could last ten more days.

Officials have also advised students to wear face masks upon resumption of classes.

Dr. Milgrace Santos, Jaen municipal health officer, said regional health directors in the area will meet Monday to discuss how to mitigate the spread of the virus.

This came a few hours after the DOH announced that 36 more people have been infected with the virus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 147.

“[Health Secretary Francisco Duque] announced an additional 36 confirmed cases, and from 111 yesterday (Saturday) it’s now 147,” Tayag earlier said in an interview on “Dateline Philippines Sunday.”

There are no details yet about the 36 new H1N1 cases as of posting time.

Tayag earlier said that health officials "have not yet detected any serious community level [transmission], at least… in Manila."

ABS-CBN News