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No reason for scare: Swine flu has not yet reached RP - DOH
A look at pandemics and pandemic threats in human history Health officials in Mexico say that the swine flu outbreaks in Mexico and in the United States have already killed 103 and sickened 1,614. The World Health Organization (WHO), for its part, has called the outbreak a public health emergency of "pandemic potential." A pandemic spreads across regions, continents, or even worldwide, affecting a large population. Here’s a list of pandemics and pandemic threats that have swept the globe over the years. 
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) From November 2002 to July 2003, the WHO recorded 8,096 cases of SARS, a respiratory disease caused by the SARS coronavirus. The disease was first reported in Guangdong, China in 2002, which eventually killed 774 worldwide. The pandemic spread to Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mongolia, New Zealand, Philippines, Ireland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam, and to China’s special administrative regions, Hong Kong and Macau. In the Philippines, the WHO recorded 14 cases and two deaths caused by SARS. In 2004, China culled thousands of civet cats after local science experts found that the SARS coronavirus found on human victims was also found in the mongoose-like animals that were considered a delicacy in southern China. The WHO, however, cautioned in linking the origin of the SARS virus to civet cats. The WHO said that while the research showed that the SARS coronavirus were found in some civet cats, “we don't know how many civet cats, or whether it can be transmitted to humans." It also added that while the findings showed that it was possible for civets to transmit SARS to humans, there were no cases to show that the transmission occurred. 
Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) According to the WHO, EHF is a viral hemorrhagic fever and one of the most virulent viral diseases. About 1,850 cases with over 1,200 deaths, have been documented since the Ebola virus was discovered. The Ebola virus was first identified in Sudan and Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 1976 when the epidemic struck Nzara in southern Sudan and Yambuku in northern Zaire. The WHO said the virus was transmitted by direct contact with the blood, body fluids and tissues of infected persons. The virus could also be transmitted by handling sick or dead infected wild animals, like chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, forest antelope, and fruit bats. The Ebola virus has five different strains: Bundibugyo, Sudan, Zaïre, Côte d’Ivoire, and Reston. The Bundibugyo, Sudan and Zaïre have caused the deaths in 25-90 percent of all clinically-ill cases, while experts say that the Côte d’Ivoire and Reston strains are not lethal. In early 2009, the Philippines slaughtered and burned more than 6,000 pigs after six farm workers were found to have carried the virus. The infected workers, however, did not display any signs of failing health. According to Philippine health officials, even if the Ebola Reston virus enters the food chain, it will not pose health risk to humans if the meat is handled safely and cooked thoroughly. Avian influenza Commonly known as bird flu, avian influenza is caused by the H5N1 influenza virus strain that has caused global concern as a potential pandemic threat. It is commonly carried by birds and fowls. All birds are believed to be susceptible to the virus, although some species are reported to be more resistant to infection than others. 
The virus struck Southeast Asia in 2003 and then spread across the rest of the continent, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The Philippines has since remained bird-flu-free. WHO records show that as of April 2009, there are 421 laboratory-confirmed cases of bird flu and 257 deaths since the H5N1 virus strain broke out six years ago. H5N1 may be passed on through contact with infected birds’ saliva, nasal secretions, and feces. There have been recorded cases of poultry-to-poultry transmission and bird-to-human transmission. Scientists have warned that if outbreaks among poultry would not be not controlled, the virus could mutate into a form more easily passed between people, triggering a pandemic that could kill millions worldwide. - Sophia M. Dedace, GMANews.TV
In a health alert notice and a health declaration check list it issued Monday, the Health department detailed several steps to prevent contracting fever, one of the symptoms of a swine flu infection. "[The public should] avoid close contact with sick people, [conduct] self monitor and stay home from work and school and limit contact with other. Consult your doctor immediately if signs and symptoms of flu appear," Duque said. In the same press briefing, Dr. Eric Tayag, head of the Health department’s National Epidemiology Center, even advised the public to refrain from kissing or shaking hands with one another. But Duque stressed that the deadly virus – which has already claimed 86 lives and downed 1,400 in Mexico for the last two weeks – could only be transferred to a human by another human and not by an animal. "Hindi pwedeng makuha ang sakit na iyan by eating pork and pork products [The virus cannot be contracted simply by eating an infected meat that has been properly cooked]," he said. Still, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap imposed a temporary ban on the entry of pork from Mexico and the United States. Although the Philippines does not import pork from Mexico, the Department of Agriculture issued the ban just to "formalize" it. No travel ban Duque said his agency has no plans of recommending to the Department of Foreign Affairs to issue a travel ban against Filipinos thinking about flying to countries hit by the deadly virus. Just the same, Duque discouraged travelers from going to the affected countries. Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Alfonso Cusi noted there are no direct flights from Mexico and from the US East Coast. Direct flights from the US include those from Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The government assured that people going into the country from other countries – especially where swine flu cases had been reported – are closely being monitored at the airports through thermal scanners. "Ang effectiveness ng thermal scanner natin ay 100 percent. Once tamaan ka sa mata niya na may fever, huli ka [Our thermal scanner here have a 100 percent effectiveness. If you are sick and you pass through one, you will easily be detected]," assured Edgardo Sabitsana of the Bureau of Quarantine. The government currently has 11 thermal scanners scattered in the country’s six international airports. Cusi said he ordered foot baths especially for passengers from Mexico and the US. The airport official said they are also coordinating with the DOH and the World Health Organization on other protocols to follow. Once travelers entering an airport manifest symptoms of swine flu infection, they would be brought either to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, the San Lazaro Hospital, or the Lung Center of the Philippines. Health authorities assured that only ill people flying in to the country from Mexico and other infected countries will be invited for examination. “[Otherwise, a traveler with fever] will be treated as an ordinary fevering patient." Health authorities assured that the government’s hospitals and medical facilities are "better equipped" now after "learning lessons" from the outbreak of another deadly virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), a few years back. Information campaign Meanwhile, Malacañang directed the DA to monitor movements in pork prices to ensure that the swine flu outbreak in Mexico and the US would not affect the sales of pork products in the Philippines. Radio dzBB’s Aileen Intia quoted Press Secretary Cerge Remonde as saying that the hog industry should be unfazed by the swine flu scare because there are no reported cases of the disease in the Philippines. Remonde likewise tapped the DA and the DOH to create a campaign to inform the public on swine flu symptoms and prevention. The Press secretary said the governments’ response to the swine flu scare would be the same to its previous response to other disease outbreaks that caused alarm all over the globe, like the avian flu and SARS. Due to the growing fear that the virus might reach the country, Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon already urged President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to certify as urgent a bill seeking to create a public health emergency council. The bill – filed at the height of the SARS scare – would allow for the creation of a body tasked to draw up an emergency plan to respond in emergencies triggered by deadly viruses and illnesses. Pandemic potential WHO Director General Margaret Chan called the outbreak a public health emergency of "pandemic potential" because the virus can pass from human to human. The Associate Press reported that Chan held teleconferences with staff and flu experts around the world but stopped short of recommending specific measures to prevent the disease from spreading. She also urged governments to step up their surveillance of suspicious outbreaks. Aside from the Philippines, other countries have implemented measures to prevent the entry of people infected with swine flu. Airports in China, Russia and Taiwan are screening travelers from Mexico and the US for possible flu symptoms. The said countries plan to put anyone with symptoms under quarantine, he AP has reported. Italy, Poland and Venezuela advised citizens to postpone travel to affected areas of Mexico and the US. Meanwhile, Hong Kong and South Korea have warned against travel to Mexico City and three provinces. Some countries have also increased the screening of pigs and pork imports or banned them outright despite health officials' reassurances that it was safe to eat thoroughly cooked pork. - with Sophia Dedace, Katrina Alba and AP, GMANews.TV An image of the SARS coronavirus captured by the University of Hong Kong's Department of Microbiology. WHO
The Ebola virus can be transmitted through direct contact with sick or dead infected animals like chimpanzees and gorillas. AP
Bird flu is caused by the H5N1 influenza virus that poses a pandemic threat. AP
