InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5
MANILA, Philippines -- Health authorities are monitoring transit passengers from Cambodia arriving at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport after the World Health Organization issued an advisory on Thursday against an “unknown respiratory disease” that has killed 64 children brought to Cambodian hospitals since April.
There are no direct flights to and from the NAIA and Cambodia but human quarantine medical personnel are monitoring transit passengers, mostly on flights from Vietnam, Bangkok and Hong Kong, for symptoms like high fever.
NAIA terminal 1 Human Quarantine duty officer Dr. Carlos dela Reyna said that anti-virus screening cameras that can detect passengers’ body temperatures have been installed at all arrival gates to screen incoming passengers.
Cambodian Minister of Health Man Bung Heng said in a statement that “the health ministry and the WHO are currently investigating the cases and possible causes of the disease are being considered but definite identification of the cause and source may take some time."
The health ministries in neighboring countries have also been told to be on the lookout for the mystery illness.
The WHO reported that the disease "causes high fever, followed by respiratory and/or with neurological symptoms.”
Thomas Tsang, controller of the Centre for Health Protection in Hong Kong, said they are in close contact with their Cambodian counterparts and the WHO. He said letters would be sent out to alert local doctors.
Experts are still trying to determine the source of the disease and how it is spread.
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