Swine flu reaches RP shores, claims first victim – Jinggoy

The dreaded swine flu virus, or H1N1 virus, has reached the Philippines and claimed its first victim, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, the only confirmed case so far of the disease in the country, health authorities said Wednesday.

Estrada had reportedly been exhibiting flu-like symptoms since last week in addition to other possible signs of swine flu, like taking on a “porcine appearance” and other pig-like characteristics, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said.

Pig

Not Jinggoy

The health department is monitoring five other people in the country after they exhibited flu-like symptoms in the past weeks, the official said.

Late Tuesday night the senator was rushed to the intensive care unit of the Cardinal Santos Memorial Medical Center in San Juan City after he complained of “high fever,coughing, vomiting and making involuntary oink noises.”

His wife, children and immediate family, including former President Joseph Estrada, had been placed under quarantine in the hospital to prevent the spread of the highly contagious disease, Duque said.

Previously, Estrada was also confined to a hospital bed after he had an infection as a result of a botched liposuction procedure.

“He’s doing fine,” Duque told reporters. He said Estrada’s case was confirmed to be swine flu after his symptoms were accompanied by certain “telling changes” in his body.

“His snout started protruding and became pointier. He really looked more and more like a pig,” Duque said. “I mean if you placed him side by side with a pig, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.”

He said Estrada also could no longer use a spoon and a fork and would eat his grub by “digging his snout into the plate” and making “disgusting smacking and slurping noises as he ate.”

Before he was wheeled into the ICU, Estrada had a message for his family, supporters and constituents:

“Please pray for me and my familoink. I hope we will be okayoink. I pray that my conditioink will not spreadoink elsewhere in the countroink. Maramoink maramoink salamat poink!”
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