The Department of Health (DOH) allayed public fears that it is not safe to eat poultry and poultry products by eating chicken and eggs.
“As of Aug. 24, 2017, there has been no confirmed human case due to Influenza A (H5N6),” Health Secretary Dr. Paulyn Ubial told reporters during a media briefing held at DOH’s media relations unit in Tayuman, Sta. Cruz, Manila.
She said the patients have been isolated as a precautionary measure, as they awaited the results of tests conducted by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).
Members of the press were served the same food by suppliers of poultry and poultry products, in an effort to regain public confidence in eating chicken.
Ubial earlier announced that 30 people from Pampanga and four from Nueva Ecija — poultry farm workers and people culling chickens who have manifested flu-like symptoms — have all tested negative for bird flu.
Meanwhile, RITM Director Dr. Soccoro Lupisan said Friday they are monitoring the health of seven persons who have been exposed to infected fowls and have shown symptoms of flu, as part of steps to control the transmission of infectious diseases, including avian influenza, in the country.
She further said that the chances of patients recovering from H5N6, the bird flu strain found in the two provinces, are big especially when the patient’s symptoms are managed properly.
So as not to contract bird flu, Ubial advised the public to avoid exposure to live birds and fowls in infected areas, wash their hands properly, especially after touching fecal material, and use disinfectant solutions.
