2 farm workers in Pampanga test negative for bird flu virus —DOH

Two poultry workers from San Luis town in Pampanga who had shown bird flu symptoms have tested negative for the avian virus, the Department of Health said Wednesday.

In an interview on radio dzBB, Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial said that out of the 14 farm workers who were tested, two have been isolated after showing flu-like symptoms.

"Meron po silang sintomas and ang sintomas nila ay flu-like, so hindi ang conclusion non ay bird flu na 'yon. Kasi lahat po tayo talagang nagkakaroon ng trangkaso at nagkakaroon ng flu," Ubial said.

"So sa 14 na tinesting, dalawa yung merong sintomas, pero hindi po yung tipikal na, kasi yung isa may lagnat lang, yung isa medyo inuubo, sinisipon. So very mild symptoms lang po at sila po ay kinunan ng sample and as of yesterday evening, tinawag sa akin ng RITM (Research Institute for Tropical Medicine), negative po sila," she added.

Ubial said that they also tested farm workers who did not show influenza-like symptoms, noting that they also tested negative for the virus. 

She added that the two farm workers can now return to work.

"Para manigurado lang, binigyan na po sila ng prophylaxis na anti-viral para tuluy-tuloy ang kanilang paggaling," Ubial said.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol revealed last week that there was a bird flu outbreak in a poultry farm in Barangay San Agustin, San Luis, Pampanga.

Piñol said that the outbreak of avian influenza Type A subtype H5 happened in a quail farm before spreading to other poultry farms.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said that 16,700 fowls have been culled, including those taken from poultry farms in Barangay San Carlos. —Marlly Rome Bondoc/LBG, GMA News