Two poultry farm workers negative of bird flu: health department

August 16, 2017

The Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday two poultry farm workers in San Luis, Pampanga, who showed flu-like symptoms, were found negative of the bird flu virus.

In an interview, Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial said she has been informed by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) test results on the two "suspect cases" were negative.

"The results were released last night: the two were negative," said Ubial. She said two had the regular flu virus.

"There are three types of influenza (virus): A, B, C. A is for birds, B is for humans, C is for pigs. The two had the B," said Ubial.

She said the two have been discharged by the hospital on Tuesday night.

Ubial said they were advised to continue with their medicines.  On Tuesday, the health department said they ordered the isolation of two "suspect cases" in San Luis, Pampanga after they had direct contact with the avian flu-afflicted chickens in Pampanga and shown flu-like symptoms.

One of the suspect cases had a fever while the other had cough. DMS