MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday, November 26, said the Ebola testing of a second United Nations (UN) peacekeeper from Liberia yielded negative results. 

Acting Health Secretary Janette Garin and Health Spokesperson Lyndon Lee Suy confirmed this with Rappler in separate text messages.

The peacekeeper, who was in quarantine on Caballo Island, was brought to a Manila-based hospital after he suffered hypertension. He was tested by experts from the the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, the country’s main referral center for Ebola.

The testing is part of the health department’s precautionary measures to keep the Philippines Ebola-free. (READ: Quarantine for Liberia troops: We’re playing safe – DOH)

The soldier and 132 other UN peacekeepers arrived in the country on November 12, and are currently under a 3-week precautionary quarantine on Caballo Island in Cavite City. 

They initially tested negative for Ebola, based on a screening conducted by the UN health team. One of them tested positive for malaria. 

Another batch of 4 peacekeepers arrived in Manila last Saturday, November 22, and were quarantined in the Armed Forces of the Philippines Medical Center in Quezon City “based on the guidance from DOH,” the military said Tuesday.

The Ebola virus, which can be transmitted through bodily fluids, causes severe fever, muscle pain, weakness, vomiting, and diarrhea. In some cases, it also causes organ failure, unstoppable bleeding, and can kill victims in just days. (READ: 5 misconceptions about Ebola)

The World Health Organization said on Friday, November 21, that the 2014 Ebola outbreak has already killed 5,459 people from 15,351 cases, mostly in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. – Rappler.com