Travel advisory to Philippines

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) expects the US Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) to issue Level 2 Travel Advisory on the Philippines after a visitor from the United States got infected with the Zika virus last month.

"Expected yan dahil nakita na walang ibang pinanggalingan (ang visitor) kundi dito. Natural na meron kang Level 2 travel advisory. It means that extra precaution must be observed if coming here, lalo na kapag pupunta sa lugar na maraming lamok, " said DOH Secretary Janette Garin.

She said such travel category would caution people visiting the Philippines to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes, especially those who are pregnant.

"It simply means meron kang extra precaution na gagawin. Yong kailangan mo mag-mosquito repellant or if travel not necessary, they would also not advise it for pregnant women, " Garin said.

"But for the others, extra precautions na wag kagatin ng lamok, andun yung wag pumunta, at kung ikaw nasa lugar na affected, don't tolerate na tubig nag-iipon-ipon, kahit indoors, " she added.

CDC had notified the DOH that an American woman had contracted the Zika virus while visiting the Philippines for four weeks in January. She however was not pregnant.