Philippines says has second case of new flu virus

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines said on Sunday it recorded its second case of the new H1N1 flu virus, with a 50-year old woman falling sick after travelling to the United States.

Authorities were observing 10 others for symptoms of the virus, Health Secretary Francisco Duque told reporters.

Duque said the Filipina had showed signs of the flu a day after arriving from Chicago on May 20 and checked herself into a private hospital.

"She only had mild symptoms which include fever and cough," Duque said, adding the family and other close contacts of the woman were also being tested for the deadly virus.

The Philippines first case of the new flu, a 10-year old Filipina who had fever and a cough after travelling from the United States and Canada, has almost fully recovered with only a minor sore throat and would be discharged as soon as repeat H1N1 flu testing was done, Duque said.

Ten other patients were under observation in the Philippines for the new flu virus that has killed 86 people and infected more than 11,000 worldwide, the health chief said. He did not give further details on these patients.

The World Health Organization is poised to declare a full pandemic of the H1N1 flu virus. WHO chief Dr. Margaret Chan said on Friday the world had to be ready for the new swine flu to become more severe and kill more people.

Asia has yet to record any deaths from the virus, a strain that is a never-before-seen mixture of swine, bird and human viruses that spreads easily between people.

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