No result yet of EV-71 confirmatory test
-A A +ATuesday, July 31, 2012
THE Davao City Health Office (CHO) is yet to receive the findings of the confirmatory tests on 17 samples taken from children suspected to have been infected with Enterovirus 71 (EV-71) infection.
Dr. Eduard Ladrido, chief of the Epidemiology Surveillance Unit of the CHO, told Sun.Star Davao on Monday that there has been no response yet from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) based in Alabang in Muntinlupa, Metro Manila, regarding the tissue samples taken from 17 kids believed to be infected with EV-71 that causes Foot, Hand, and Mouth Disease (FHMD) among humans.
There were 22 suspected cases of EV71 infection recorded by CHO in Davao City as of Friday, but only 17 of these children, ages between 19 months to 10 years old, were extracted with sample tissues.
"Hindi natin alam kung 'yung samples galling dito sa atin ay naka salang na or gina-preserve pa nila (We don't know if those samples from Davao City have already been cultured or still being preserved)," Ladrido said.
Normally, Ladrido said, the tissue culture would take at least a week, but since RITM is the lone medical facility in the country that has the capability for testing, it caters to all confirmatory test request from all over the country.
Ladrido said it would take longer than one week before the result will be released.
But Ladrido was quick to add that anytime this week, they are expecting the results to be released by RITM.
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that HFMD, which is caused by EV-71, is a common infectious disease among children and infants.
Among its symptoms include fever, painful sore in the mouth, rashes with blisters on hand, feet, and or in the buttocks.
Dr. Josephine Villafuerte, city health officer, said earlier that EV-71 often affects children and even people of any age with a very weak immune system.
She said the best way to prevent from getting infected with the virus is to practice proper hygiene and boost one's immune system through proper and healthy diets.
A confirmatory test from RITM, the other week, showed the city's first case of EV-71 infection from a tissue sample taken from a 19-month-old child.
Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on July 31, 2012.
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