TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol - The Department of Health (DOH) 7 announced the first confirmed case of the Influenza A (H1N1) virus in Bohol, a 33-year-old woman who had traveled to Qatar, raising to four the confirmed number of people infected with the virus in Central Visayas.

The whereabouts of the woman is now being traced because she was released from the hospital without clearance from the DOH 7.

The victim has been identified as a resident of Dauis, Bohol. She arrived in the Philippines from Qatar last May 23. It was unclear if she is an overseas Filipino worker. Authorities could only say that she is not a native of Bohol but got married to a Boholano and had acquired properties there.

Two days after her arrival, she reportedly got fever and was confined in an unnamed hospital in Bohol. The hospital later released her after she recovered from the flu even before results of swab tests sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine arrived.

DOH-7 officials said the hospital should have waited for the confirmatory tests from their central office in Manila before discharging the patient.

Health officials expressed concern that the woman might have gotten into contact with other people.

Bohol Vice Governor Julius Caesar Herrera said that health authorities are now tracking the victim’s whereabouts to contain the spread of the virus.

As of press time, one patient positive of the A (H1N1) flu virus remains in a Cebu City hospital. The 45-year-old woman, who was infected with the virus after attending a wedding in Luzon, remains under observation.

DOH 7 Director Susana Madarieta said health personnel were set to take her second swab sample and send them to Manila for examination.

Madarieta said the public has no reason to panic.

“There’s no need for alarm. There’s no need to panic. According to the World Health Organization and Secretary Duque (Health Secretary Francisco), the virus is actually a mild form of the (H1N1) flu virus,” Madarieta said.

Meanwhile, a Metro Manila solon warned yesterday that the Influenza A (H1N1) virus may continue to spread in the country with the rainy season setting in and in the absence of a definite and concrete plan by the government to control the disease.

Muntinlupa City Rep. Ruffy Biazon said that while the government has taken measures to prevent the spread of the disease by promoting frequent hand washing, “the increasing number of A/H1N1 cases shows that it is not enough to contain the disease.”

“The rapid increase in the number of A/H1N1 cases is reaching an alarming level. We might be nearing a situation where it will become a public health emergency. With the rainy season setting in, the risk of the spread of the disease may become greater,” Biazon said in a text message.

As of last Thursday, the Department of Health (DoH) said there were a total of 29 cases of A/H1N1 infection in the country.

Biazon noted that the government, particularly the DoH, seems to not even have a system where the state of risk to public health is scaled just like that of World Health Organization (WHO).

“At this point, there is no system to say if we are already in a state of public health emergency,” he said.