No Ebola case in PH, DOH says

The Department of Health on Saturday said there are no cases of Ebola in the Philippines.

"To be very clear, wala po tayong kaso ng Ebola sa Pilipinas (we do not have any Ebola case in the Philippines)," DOH spokesperson Undersecretary Albert Domingo said in an interview on Dobol B TV.

"Wala po, wala po. Hindi po talaga (There is really no reason)," Domingo said when asked if there is any reason for Filipinos to panic amid the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

"Sa ngayon ang panahon natin ay low risk kapagka ibang bansa lalo malayo tayo sa West Africa kung nasaan ang Democratic Republic of the Congo," he said.

(For now we are at low risk [for Ebola] when [the outbreak] happens in other countries, and especially since we are far from West Africa where the Democratic Republic of the Congo is.)

The DOH official said the World Health Organization (WHO) has not recommended any travel ban and the Philippines will not implement one.

"Walang inirekomenda ang WHO na travel ban at wala tayong gagawin," Domingo said.

However, the Bureau of Quarantine will implement strict screening of passengers with history of travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, he said.

"Pero ang ginawa ng Bureau of Quarantine, nakausap ko kanina si Director Obet Salvador sa utos ni [DOH] Secretary Ted [Herbosa], ang sinabi po ng ating director ay magkakaroon ng enhanced screening para du'n sa mga biyahero na makikita na nagmula du'n sa Democratic Republic of the Congo o kaya Uganda.

(What the Bureau of Quarantine will do – I talked with Director Obet Salvador earlier today upon the order of [DOH] Secretary Ted [Herbosa] – is have enhanced screening for travelers who came from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.)

READ: DOH to heighten border watch amid Ebola outbreak

The WHO earlier declared that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda is a public health emergency of international concern.

It said the outbreak, which is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, does not meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency but that countries sharing land borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo are at high risk of further spread.

The WHO has then raised the risk of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola turning into a national outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo to "very high," Reuters reported.

Not airborne

"Ang Ebola, hindi siya airborne. Hindi siya parang COVID-19... Ang kanyang paraan ay body fluids," Domingo said.

(The Ebola virus is not airborne. It is not like COVID-19. The way of transmission is through body fluids.)

Symptoms of Ebola disease are first dry such as headache, fever, and body pains. Then the wet symptoms follow, such as diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea, he said.

READ: EXPLAINER: What is Ebola disease?

No cure or vaccine yet

"Mataas ang case fatality rate ng Ebola... Nasa 40 to 50% ang kanyang case fatality rate... Walang gamot laban sa Ebola, walang bakuna para dito sa Bundibugyo," Domingo said.

(The case fatality rate of Ebola is high, about 40 to 50%. There is no medicine or vaccine yet for Bundibugyo.)

Domingo said 700 suspected cases of Ebola have so far been recorded, based on WHO data.

"Itong si Ebola, medyo naaral na siya... 'Yung Bundibugyo kaya lang nakakabahala, ngayon lang nakita 'yung ganitong kalaking outbreak... Du'n sa datos ng WHO, umabot na sa 700 ang suspected case... Itong Bundibugyo, ngayon lang nilang nakita lumobo nang ganito karami," he said.

(This Ebola is being studied. The reason why the Bundibugyo is concerning is that it is only now that a big outbreak has been reported. Based on the data of WHO, the number of suspected cases has reached 700. It is only now that the number of Bundibugyo has reached that high.)

Domingo said WHO experts are currently studying what could be possibly used against Bundibugyo, such as remdesivir which has been used to treat COVID-19.

The DOH official then also advised the public to build up their immunity to avoid contracting diseases.

"Tamang pagkain, ehersisyo, at disiplina sa katawan. Ang panlaban natin sa anumang virus o bacteria ay ang ating immune system," Domingo said.

(The right food, exercise, and discipline. Our weapon against any virus or bacteria is our immune system.) —KG, GMA News