Health Secretary Enrique听Ona听said that the nurse tested positive for MERS-CoV听in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
The nurse arrived in the country last August 29 through Saudi Airlines Flight SV870. She also boarded Cebu Pacific flight SJ997 to General Santos.
The nurse is currently confined at the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City for confirmatory tests.
Despite this recorded case,听Ona听maintained that the Philippines is MERS-CoV听free.
The DOH said that it is now monitoring 240 passengers of Saudi Airlines and almost 100 passengers of Cebu Pacific who boarded the planes with the nurse.
Ona听asked overseas Filipino workers from the Middle East to be tested for MERS-CoV听before coming back to the country.
The health secretary also said that isolation rooms in hospitals have been prepared and doctors have been briefed to respond to MERS-CoV听cases.
MERS-CoV听is a viral respiratory disease which was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012.
As of July 23, 837 laboratory-confirmed cases including 291 deaths have been reported to the听.
RELATED STORIES
听