THE Department of Health (DOH)-Cordillera has recorded a four percent decrease of influenza-like illness from January to August 10, 2019.
The DOH-Cordillera said there were only 6,261 cases recorded this year, compared to the 6,508 cases recorded in the same period of 2018.
Influenza-like illness (ILI), also known as flu-like syndrome/symptoms, is a medical diagnosis of possible influenza or other illness causing a set of common symptoms.
Common causes of ILI include the common cold and influenza, which tends to be less common but more severe than the common cold.
Geeny Anne Austria, Nurse V of the DOH-Cordillera's regional epidemiology and surveillance unit, said in a previous interview that the incubation period of the viral illness is usually one to three days and patient recovery is usually two to seven days.
Asutria said influenza-like illness may be clinically indistinguishable from disease caused by other respiratory viruses, such as common colds, croup, bronchiolitis, viral pneumonia and undifferentiated acute respiratory disease.
Disease transmission is done through airborne spread among crowded populations in enclosed spaces wherein the influenza virus may persist for hours, particularly in the cold and in low humidity and transmission may also occur through direct contact.
Austria said new subtypes may be transmitted globally within three to six months and severe illness and death during annual influenza epidemics occur primarily among the elderly and those debilitated by chronic cardiac, pulmonary, reinal or metabolic disease, anemia or immunosuppression.
The regional health department called on persons who continue to have the symptoms of the various illnesses to immediately visit the nearest medical facility to be provided with the appropriate medication.
The DOH-Cordillera said people should not self-medicate as health experts are in the proper position in the dispensation of medicines.