The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday assured the public that no Ebola case has been recorded in the Philippines despite the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.

In an interview, DOH spokesperson Usec. Albert Domingo clarified that there is no reason for Filipinos to panic over the situation abroad.

“To be very clear, we do not have any Ebola case in the Philippines,” Domingo said in Filipino.

When asked if the public should be alarmed, Domingo replied, “There is really no reason.”

He said the country remains at low risk because the outbreak is confined to parts of Africa far from the Philippines.

“For now, we are at low risk when the outbreak happens in other countries, especially since we are far from West Africa where the Democratic Republic of the Congo is,” he said.

Domingo also said the World Health Organization (WHO) has not recommended any travel ban related to the outbreak, adding that the Philippines will not impose restrictions on travelers.

“There is no recommendation from the WHO for a travel ban, and we will not implement one,” he said.

However, the Bureau of Quarantine will tighten border screening for travelers arriving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.

Domingo said he spoke with Bureau of Quarantine Director Obet Salvador under the directive of Health Secretary Ted Herbosa regarding the enhanced monitoring measures.

“What the Bureau of Quarantine will do is implement enhanced screening for travelers coming from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda,” he said.

The WHO earlier declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern. The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which WHO said poses a high risk of spreading in neighboring countries.

Domingo emphasized that Ebola is not airborne unlike COVID-19 and is transmitted through body fluids.

“The Ebola virus is not airborne. It is not like COVID-19. The way of transmission is through body fluids,” he said.

He added that symptoms initially include fever, headache, and body pain before progressing to diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea.

Domingo said the Philippines previously recorded four incidents involving the Reston strain of Ebola in 1989, 1992, 1996, and 2008, but noted that strain did not cause illness in humans.

“What we are monitoring now is the Bundibugyo species,” he said.

The DOH official also noted that Ebola has a high fatality rate of around 40% to 50%, and there is currently no approved medicine or vaccine specifically for the Bundibugyo strain.

Based on WHO data, Domingo said there are already around 700 suspected cases linked to the outbreak.