Philippines - Second Korean case of Zika linked to trip to Philippines

The number of Koreans visiting the Philippines might significantly decrease following a second confirmed Zika case in a man who is believed to have been infected there.

According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), Wednesday, the man, 20, who tested positive for the virus, visited Boracay, a small resort island in the Philippines, and Kalibo, between April 10 and 14. He said he was bitten by a mosquito there on April 13.

Boracay is one of the most frequently visited tourist destinations for Koreans, especially newlyweds, with more than 100,000 traveling there annually.

So far, worries about the mosquito-borne virus have remained minimal here, because the outbreak is mainly concentrated in Central and South America. Korea's first confirmed patient last month was infected with the virus after travelling to Brazil, a country which is not a popular tourist destination for Koreans. But the situation is different for the Philippines.

Expectant mothers and soon-to-be-married couples are discussing in Internet communities about whether to cancel trips to the Philippines, because the virus is linked with birth defects.

"I decided to cancel my plans to travel to the Philippines. I am pregnant so my baby's heath is most important," a woman posted on one such site.

"Traveling is always fun and romantic, but I would never risk my baby's health for anything," another woman wrote.

According to Hana Tour, the nation's largest travel agency, the company is bracing for a possible spike in cancellations in the upcoming summer holiday season.

"Although there has been no significant number of cancellations yet, we are preparing for a possible decrease of travelers to the Philippines this summer," an official from the agency said.

"If the KCDC issues a travel advisory for virus-affected regions, then we would consider exempting cancellation fees for pregnant women," he added.

Meanwhile, the second patient, who had been hospitalized at the Seoul National University Hospital, was released Thursday, according to the KCDC.

"The man is healthy, and all his symptoms including rash and fever have subsided. We decided to release him as he is not likely to infect others," an official said.

The KCDC is running a test on the man's older brother, who accompanied him during the trip. The brother said he was not bitten by a mosquito, nor is he showing symptoms.

The mosquito-borne virus is almost never life threatening but poses serious health concerns for pregnant women, because it is linked with microcephaly, a birth defect in which babies are born with abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brains.

The KCDC recommends pregnant women delay their travel to 45 countries on its watch list, mostly in countries in Central and South America, and Oceania.

By Lee Kyung-min

koreatimes

Philippines - DOH issues update on HFMD reports

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) said Thursday that hospitals continue to report suspected cases of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD).

The DOH, however, clarified that hospitals have been reporting HFMD cases because of its instructions and "not because of an outbreak."

Health Secretary Enrique T. Ona had earlier instructed the DOH National Epidemiology Center to include Enterovirus 71 (EV-71) as a notifiable disease "to compel health providers, especially health physicians, to report individual cases or even outbreaks."

What causes HFMD?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), HFMD is caused by viruses from the group called enteroviruses. They may be polioviruses, coxsackieviruses, echoviruses and other enteroviruses.

"HFMD is most commonly caused by coxsackievirus A16 which usually results in a mild self-limiting disease with few complications. However, HFMD is also caused by Enteroviruses, including EV-71which has been associated with serious complications, and may be fatal," the WHO said.

The DOH said that HFMD is moderately contagious and spreads through fecal-oral route and from direct contact with secretions from infected person. It is different from the foot and mouth disease in animals.

HFMD commonly affects young children. Its symptoms include mild illness characterized by a few days of fever and appearance of skin rashes or lesions around mouth, hands and feet.

"Severe Enterovirus-71 infections can cause severe neurological disease most recently described in Cambodia, where dozens of children died suddenly despite all efforts provided by hospitals,"  the DOH said.

How to prevent the spread of EV-71

The DOH has encouraged parents and day-care personnel to clean and disinfect toys and teaching tools to prevent the spread of EV-71 among children.

It had likewise advised the public to properly dispose of baby diapers or human waste and practice strict personal hygiene and regular hand-washing.

The DOH said that HFMD outbreaks in several Asian countries have made it an "emerging threat following the almost complete eradication of polio."

Unlike polio, however, there are still no available vaccines against EV-71 infections.

The DOH added that throat specimens from suspected cases are sent to the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine to confirm the presence or absence of the virus.

The National Epidemiology Center was tasked to collect reports from hospitals then report them as part of the Disease Surveillance System.

"Mild cases are seldom hospitalized except for dehydration that occurs when sick child are unable to feed because of mouth sores. Parents should watch out for warning signs such as muscle twitching, paralysis, impaired consciousness as these will require taking care of affected children in hospital setting," the DOH said.

The DOH had reported that two children have been tested positive for enterovirus, but clarified that they were not afflicted with the deadly EV-71 strain.

Ruth Sindico 

http://www.philstar.com/