Ormoc virus isn’t West Nile - Dayrit

Citing the results of a preliminary inquiry, Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit said yesterday the West Nile fever virus did not cause the mysterious illness that afflicted 12 children of the prominent Larrazabal clan in Ormoc City.

Dayrit said the victims, one of whom is still in coma, could have suffered from "acute disseminated encephalomyelitis" with a final diagnosis of a systemic viral infection.

He cited the preliminary investigation report of the Department of Health’s National Epidemiology Center which has sent a team of experts to Ormoc.

Instead of the West Nile fever virus, Dayrit said they are eyeing the Japanese B encephalitis virus which, he added, exhibits the same symptoms as the former such as sore eyes, high fever and tonsillitis.

But he said the victims must undergo an "etiology test" to really identify what virus afflicted them.

Dayrit allayed fears of Ormoc folk on the possible spread of the strange virus.

He said the DOH-NEC team has checked the situation at the Larrazabals’ MR compound in Barangay Bantigue in Ormoc, and has ruled out such an event.

Only four of the Larrazabal children were brought to the family-owned Cebu Doctors’ Hospital. Except for Marcos Larrazabal II, who is still in coma, the three kids, along with the rest of the victims, were declared out of danger.

Dr. Potenciano Larrazabal, the hospital’s chairman and the victims’ grandfather, said laboratory tests showed that they were indeed afflicted by a virus.

But he said he and three other doctors were at a loss and could not identify the virus. — With Freeman News Service