DOH: No Ebola threat in PH

National

THE Department of Health (DOH) is urging calm across the country, reassuring the public that the Philippines remains completely free of the Ebola virus.

The assurance was given amid a World Health Organization (WHO) alert regarding a growing outbreak of the Ebola Bundibugyo strain currently affecting some parts of Africa.

Speaking from the World Health Assembly in Geneva, DOH spokesperson Albert Domingo confirmed that the current cluster of infections is concentrated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, specifically within the conflict-ridden Ituri Province.

Given that the region's healthcare infrastructure is compromised by local conflict, containing the virus there has proven difficult.

However, the threat of the virus jumping to Philippine shores remains incredibly low due to zero direct flights as there are no commercial flight routes connecting the affected African regions directly to the Philippines.

Enhanced screening is also being done as the Bureau of Quarantine is deploying heightened screening measures for any transit travelers arriving from or passing through the impacted zones, a Philstar report said.

The Philippines has also no history of human Ebola cases despite the detected Reston virus strain in local animals during 1989, 1992, 1996, and 2008. Science has shown it does not cause illness in humans.

Health officials stressed that public anxiety is unwarranted because Ebola behaves differently from respiratory viruses like COVID-19.

Ebola is not airborne. It cannot be caught by simply breathing the same air as an infected person, nor is sweat recognized on medical transmission lists. In fact, Ebola requires direct contact with infected bodily fluids, including blood, vomit, saliva, urine and stool.

“To be very clear, there are no Ebola cases in the Philippines,” according to Domingo in a radio interview per a report by Philstar.

Domingo noted that the Bundibugyo strain carries a stark 40% to 50% fatality rate, varying by the patient's access to medical interventions.

“There is currently no specific cure for Ebola, and no widely available vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain,” Domingo added.

The illness typically progresses from an early stage having fever, headaches, and muscle aches to an advanced stage experiencing severe vomiting and diarrhea.

While experimental drugs and therapies adapted from the COVID-19 pandemic are undergoing scientific review, they have not yet been standardized for general use against this strain.

With no active threat on the horizon, DOH urges citizens to focus on keeping their immune systems resilient through foundational wellness habits such as balanced diet, regular exercise, consistent hydration, and sufficient rest.(April Jane Cabalida, CNU Comm Intern)