Suspected SARS case in Ilocos monitored

The Department of Health (DOH) is now verifying reports of a suspected case of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in the Ilocos Region.

"It’s raw information and we still have to confirm it. We are now verifying this information with the epidemiologists in the region," DOH epidemiologist Dr. Troy Gepte said.

The patient’s profile was not immediately available but according to another epidemiologist, Dr. Agnes Venegas, the patient may not be infected with the killer pneumonia, although he has a history of travel to Hong Kong.

"The patient was reportedly suffering from brain tumor so we can’t immediately ascertain if the illness was caused by the cancer or any other illness. We have to wait for the reports of our regional office," she explained.

Meanwhile, the lone suspected SARS case being monitored by the DOH in Cagayan Valley has turned out negative for the disease.

Gepte told The STAR that the patient, who was among the nine suspected SARS cases being monitored by the DOH all over the country since May 16, was found suffering only from "infection not related to SARS."

All nine cases manifested fever and came from SARS-infected countries, but none had developed pneumonia prompting the DOH to rule them out as SARS cases.

The DOH sends to quarantine anyone who manifests fever and has history of travel in SARS-infected countries or contact with SARS cases as part of the nationwide anti-SARS campaign.

Meanwhile, those that do not have fever are advised to observe home confinement for two weeks.

The move was intended to keep SARS away from the Philippines and maintain the SARS-free status that the World Health Organization (WHO) accorded the country last May 21.

The Philippines had been included in WHO’s SARS list for almost a month after 74-year-old Mauricio Catalon, who died of SARS on April 22, had infected three relatives and two health workers with the disease.

Catalon got the infection from his daughter, Canada-based nursing assistant Adela Catalon, who died of SARS on April 14 in the country. The latter was infected by the mother of her roommate in Toronto, Canada.

WHO delisted the country last May 21 after no further infection from Catalon surfaced for 20 days.