Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin

Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin has told Filipinos not to take washing fruits and vegetables for granted in the light of concerns over the fruit bat-borne Nipah virus (NiV). 

“Washing fruits and vegetables should not be taken for granted. Not only [because of] Nipah but other viruses as well. Teach our children the importance of washing fruits and not directly eating them from the trees," Garin, a former Department of Health (DOH) secretary, said in a statement Monday morning, Sept. 25. 

“Fruit bats are part of Philippine ecology. We live with them and ensure we don’t stress them out, but if ever they get sick, we ensure that viruses transmitted to animals and/or humans should have no human-to-human transmission," she said. 

Fruit bats are the carriers of NiV, a zoonotic virus. This means that it can spread between animals and people. 

"Frequently handwashing with soap and water. Proper hygiene. These are life-saving measures. [These] should always be remembered, never to be forgotten,” Garin pointed out. 

At any rate, the House deputy majority leader from Iloilo said it is "not yet time to panic due to NiV". But the public must be informed about the virus and its symptoms, she said. 

“Dapat ay mayroong actual and reliable information to the general public without being an alarmist so hindi po pwedeng takutin ‘yung tao pero dapat alam nila ‘yung totoo at bakit nangyayari ito,” said the doctor-solon. 

(We should have actual and reliable information to the general public without being an alarmist so we shouldn't frighten the people, but they should know the truth and the reason why this is happening.) 

"Persistent fever, especially if accompanied by moderate to severe headache, are red flags,” said Garin. She said individuals who experience these should consult a physician. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), NiV is usually transmitted from animals to humans, and that people can also become infected if they have close contact with an infected animal or its body fluids. 

Garin said that the Philippines already had NiV cases in 2014 with documented transmission from fruit bats to horses to humans wherein the feed of horses were contaminated with bat urine and secretions. 

“Resilient as we are, we were able to contain it. It was one of my ‘baptism of fire’ when I joined DOH. I have strong faith in our experts, but information from them should be laymanized to the public,” the lady lawmaker said.