DOH looking into condition of Mexican actor who fell ill after recent visit to PH

The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday, April 9, said it is seeking official clarification from international health authorities regarding the medical condition of a Mexican actor who reportedly fell ill following his recent trip to the Phil-ippines.

- By MERLINA HERNANDO MALIPOT

In an interview with DZBB, DOH Spokesperson Albert Domingo explained that the DOH made both in-formal and formal efforts to obtain information on the reported bacterial infection contracted by Mexican actor Manuel Masalva, who has been placed in a medically induced coma in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

“Ang aming ginawa po namin, nagpa-tanong kami (the first thing we did was ask around)." Domingo said, noting that locally, no reports have come in related to the incident, so the DOH does not have any official data on hand.

“Officially, nagtanong na kami sa dalawang bansa na pwedeng pag-kuhaan ng impormasyon (we have already asked two countries that can provide information),” Domingo said, referring to Dubai—where the actor is currently hospitalized — and Mexico, his home country.

Under the International Health Regulations (IHR), Domingo em-phasized that unless the illness is considered “notifiable” — such as Covid-19 variants, Ebola, or Marburg virus—no automatic international alert is required.