Manila - Philippine health authorities on Thursday confirmed four more cases of swine flu in the country, bringing to 10 the total number of people infected with the disease. Health Secretary Francisco Duque said all the four new cases had close contacts with a Taiwanese mother and her 5-year-old daughter who fell ill after returning home to Taiwan from a wedding in the Philippines.
Three of the new cases are Filipinos, while one is a foreigner, Duque said.
Duque said most of the patients were already recovering from "mild to acute respiratory illnesses."
He added that while there was an increase in the number of confirmed swine flu cases in the country, "there is still no indication that there is a sustained community transmission in the Philippines."
"The Philippines has prepared for this through its National Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan," Duque said. "All Department of Health hospitals and medical centres have been designated as referral hospitals for managing AH1N1."
According to the World Health Organization, it has recorded a total of 13,398 cases of swine flu in 48 countries since April, including 95 deaths.
