Scientists Friday advised students and workers to wear masks whenever they are going to public places to protect them from possible transmission of the deadly swine flu with the expected occurrences of more intense and frequent rainfalls starting this month.

The Department of Science and Technology (DoST) issued the advisory as its scientific researchers feared that more people might get infected with swine flu as the coming of tropical cyclones may cause "chaotic mixing" of A (H1N1) virus with air or wind in the environment during the rainy season.

"As the wind becomes more intense with the occurrence of tropical cyclones, the farther the virus can reach and infect more people," Science and Technology Secretary Estrella Alabastro told the Manila Bulletin in an exclusive interview.

At the same time, the DoST official led the calls for the conduct of a study on how to contain and prevent the new strain of influenza A virus, which has infected 344 Filipinos with 33 new cases as of Wednesday, from spreading further in the country.

She urged the Department of Health (DoH) to confirm the initial assessment of its scientists, who revealed a correlation in the usual strains of influenza virus with the advent of storms that enhances flu transmissions during similar weather disturbances.

DoST's research and development branch in the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) elaborated that rain activities during the monsoon season tend to enhance airflow in the environment, which will make the spread of the virus faster and infect more people in a crowd.

Nathaniel Servando, deputy director of Pagasa research and development, cited one of its recent studies, which revealed that cases of influenza among people increase a month after the occurrence of tropical cyclones in Metro Manila.

"The continuous rains might not wash away the virus. On the contrary, it might aggravate airflow and enhance the spread of the A/H1N1," Servando said.

But research author and senior weather specialist Nilo Relos noted that a new strain of any virus may consequently have a new set of factors that could affect its reproduction as well as a new set of requirements needed to resist it.

"The result of the study has been insignificant and not as conclusive so we need to conduct further study to determine other environmental factors causing the transmission of ordinary influenza virus and if this is applicable to the new strain of virus," Relos said.

Meanwhile, Servando said that the DoH and some experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) have been collaborating efforts to conduct a study based on their earlier research and scientific analysis.

For her part, Alabastro vowed DoST's participation in the effort by providing more data concerning the issue as well as financial and technical assistance.

As this developed, a Malabon City health officer Friday said that they are following up suspected cases of the A (H1NI) virus involving a woman and her child who came from Australia where they might have contracted the virus.

Dr. Billy Goco, city health officer said, the two arrived from Australia last June 4, and the 13-year-old child contracted a fever last June 10. He added, however, the fever had already subsided.

The city health office has been conducting a surveillance as part of the precautionary measures to trace cases of the A (H1N1) virus in different barangays.

The surveillance was compliance with the directive of the DoH and the city government of Malabon.

Goco said the other day that Mayor Tito Oreta, along with local health personnel also went to the City of Malabon University (CMU) where they conducted a fever monitoring surveillance.

Goco, who headed the team, denied earlier reports of a case of the A (H1N1) virus that allegedly infected an elementary school pupil in Malabon. But the health officer claimed the report turned out to be negative.

"We have conducted all possible reports of the case but it turned out negative," Goco said after attending a meeting with the DoH.

Goco's statement somehow allayed fears of the illness among residents in the city especially in the barangay where the report originated.

In Bacoor, Cavite, meanwhile, Mayor Strike Revilla distributed Vitamin C tablets to schoolchildren as a means of defense against the dreaded influenza A (HINI) virus.

Revilla also reminded parents and children to follow health measures to prevent the spread of the flu virus.

The mayor distributed vitamin tablets and schoolbags to hundreds of students at Ligas Elementary School. He was accompanied by movie and television personality Lani Mercado, wife of his brother Senator Ramon B. Revilla Jr., barangay chairman Remy Sentero, Jhun Paestre of Bisig Kamay Friendship Inc. and sponsors Yumu Pamasaki, Takayuki Sugishima and Kobun Morikawa of Japan's Tamdachi Project Hiroshima.

Revilla said that the residents of the province need to take vitamin supplements aside from nutritious foods to keep their bodies strong. Vitamin C or ascorbic acid and other supplements help in the prevention of colds and flu.

In Zamboanga City, City Health Officer Dr. Rodelin Agbulos and representatives from the DoH and its allied agencies continued to join hands in preventing the spread of the A(H1N1) virus.

In a meeting Thursday, Agbulos along with officials from the Bureau of Quarantine, Bureau of Food and Drugs, other agencies under the DoH and government agencies such as Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and Zamboanga Medical Center came up with steps to control and prevent the spread of the disease in the city.

“We have to come up with a common stand on the steps and measures to prevent and control swine flu”, Agbulos said.

Agbulos disclosed that when the flu spreads person-to-person, instead of from animals to humans, it can continue to mutate, making it harder to treat or fight, because people have no natural immunity.

Zamboanga City has numerous entry points through land, air and sea transports making it vulnerable to the disease.

Agbulos said Dr. Romeo Ong, hospital director of the Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC) has assured the availability of anti-viral medicines just in case the strain reaches this part of the country. “But in the meantime, we continue with our monitoring on persons who come into the city with fever and influenza symptoms.”