3 Baguio inmates, 11 Abra studes afflicted: A(H1N1) deaths rise to five in Cordillera

BAGUIO CITY -- The Cordillera Dept. of Health confirmed five A (H1N1)-related deaths in the region the past two weeks even as 11 students at the Church-run Our Lady of Lourdes High School in Manabo, Abra were reported afflicted by the virus.

In Baguio, DOH officials also said twin babies of the mother who died of the virus were already discharged from the hospital as there were 187 confirmed positive cases and 370 cases under observation in the region.

Most cases came from Baguio and nearby Benguet where 138 cases were found negative and 45 were having pending swab results.

A local seminary has also suspended classes for 10 days even as regular visits to the city jail here were suspended after three inmates showed flu-like symptoms that led to their infection by the H1N1) virus.

This necessitated quarantine of the over 500 inmates and jail guards through
suspension of daily visits which might lead to infection of inmates and their relatives by the dreaded A (H1N1) virus.

In Sagada, Mountain Province, a municipal crisis response team reported the spread of the swine flu virus which afflicted some students of Saint Mary’s School prompting the school to suspend classes for at least a week.

Jim Alacyang, a first year SMS student from Bangaan, died at the Luis Hora Regional Memorial Hospital in Bauko. He was initially hospitalized at St. Theodore's Hospital then transferred at Luis Hora Hospital.

The Cordillera office of the Center for Health Development earlier declared a low-level community outbreak of the virus in this city due to the continuous increase in number of individuals infected by the virus.

Dr. Florence Reyes, city health officer, said the recommendation to suspend visits to the jail is a measure to prevent the virus from spreading to the other inmates as well as to their relatives visiting them.

While regular visits were suspended, jail officers said they will undertake sanitation activities in the cells and premises to ensure cleanliness.

The three infected prisoners have been separated from their inmates and are now undergoing treatment.

Supt. Rebecca Pawid, Baguio City jail warden, said regular visit to the inmates will resume Aug. 11 when city health officials give a clean bill of health to infected persons.

A Baguio seminary also suspended regular classes the next 10 days after some students were reported to have been infected by the virus.

Despite the continuous increase in the number of confirmed A(H1N1) cases and the number of deaths caused by the virus, health authorities have yet to decide on the question of whether or not to place the city under “a state of sustained community transmission of the virus.”

In Manabo, Abra, afflicted students were found positive of the disease after examinations were conducted on nasal and throat swabs taken from them by medical personnel of the Department of Health in the Cordillera and the provincial health office here.

However, Dr. Joel Beleno of the Triumph of the Cross Hospital in this town said the 11 students have already recovered from the illness and were discharged few days ago.

He said, however, the hospital is still admitting patients showing flu-like symptoms.

Meanwhile, school officials of OLLHS suspended classes on all levels for 10 days to prevent the disease from spreading to other students.

This would also allow personnel to clean and disinfect the school.

It was learned the Saint Martin Learning Center for children also suspended their classes.
There are no reports of class suspenion in other schools in the town, although a report stated that many pupils studying at the Manabo Pilot Elementary School in Barangay Ayyeng were sick.

Personnel of the DoH and Abra PHO have already taken swab samples from the pupils for laboratory examination.

Another resident doctor at the hospital, Dr. Ryan Acuesta, said that they have already recorded 34 flu cases since July 31, and the patients, all residents of Manabo, are suspected to have been infected by the A(H1N1) virus.

“We are waiting for the results of their (34 patients) swab tests from the Regional Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM). We hope they will test negative,” Acuesta said.

As of July 30, 2009, DOH have recorded 6 deaths and 3, 207 confirmed cases nationwide. – With reports from Dexter A. See, Antonio Alvarez Sagud Jr. and AD