DAVAO CITY -- Health officials confirmed Sunday the first case of influenza A (H1N1) or swine flu infection in Mindanao.

The patient is a four-year-old boy from Butuan City who just came from Hong Kong where his mother is working.

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Davao Medical Center (DMC) chief Dr. Leopoldo Vega said the patient arrived at the hospital’s isolation ward on Friday, along with his nine-year-old playmate, a girl, after manifesting symptoms of the illness.

The patient just came from a vacation in Hong Kong on June 13 and is asthmatic and had undergone a heart surgery in the past.

Vega said the patient is now recovering well.

The playmate is doing well too and has not been confirmed to have the swine flu virus.

The boy's parents and other people who had contact with him have already been placed under mandatory quarantine or are still being traced.

There were reportedly 13 people whom the boy had contact with and are being observed by the health authorities now.

The boy was transported to the DMC as it is the only hospital in Mindanao that has the facility to contain the virus.

DMC, Mindanao's largest government-run health facility, has a four-bed isolation ward for suspected A (H1N1) patients.

In Cebu, health officials are tracing contacts outside school of three students who were found positive of H1N1.

The Department of Health (DOH) in Central Visayas said there is no need for contact tracing inside the University of Cebu Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue (UCLM) campus as the students were already quarantined. Several schools were also told to observe response system.

Health officials will also check vendors and small eateries outside the UC campus for possible contact with the three students infected with the swine flu virus.

Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes dispels fear of more infection, saying Barangay Emergency Response Team in Barangay Looc, together with local health personnel, are joining in the monitoring of small stores outside the campus that may have been in contact with students.

He said Mandaue City has a standby P32 million calamity fund that can be used if situation worsens.

Dr. Susana Madarieta, DOH-Central Visayas regional director, said the three students have nearly recovered from A (H1N1) flu. They only have occasional coughing and no fever.

Madarieta has ordered UCLM physician to report anyone within the dorm that would manifest any symptoms of A (H1N1) flu virus within the 10-day quarantine period.

As of June 19, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported a total of 44,287 A (H1N1) cases with 180 deaths from 90 countries all over the world.

This is higher by 4,667 cases and 13 deaths than its last update on June 17. The highest number is still in the United States with 17,855 patients and 44 deaths.

In the latest report from the DOH, 36 new cases of influenza A (H1N1) or swine flu virus were again reported in the Philippines, bringing to 428 the total number of confirmed cases.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque said that 79 percent of the previous cases of A (H1N1) or about 339 have fully recovered.

According to Duque, all the 36 new cases are "mild in nature." He said the patients are responding positively to their treatments.

Six of the new cases have a history of travel to a country affected by the virus. Two of the patients are foreigners. (BOT of Sun.Star Davao/Sun.Star Cebu/MSN/With Peng Aliño/Sunnex)