MANILA, Philippines -- (UPDATE 2) The country's first confirmed Influenza A(H1N1) patient is "recovering well," the Department of Health (DoH) said, as it started tracing 17 passengers of a flight from the United States who might have come into contact with the 10-year-old girl.

"The patient is recovering well. She has no fever, just a sore throat and the mother, who is the one that is closest in terms of the contact has tested negative for the virus," health undersecretary Mario Villaverde said.

"That is the good news," he told a news conference.

The airline has been asked to provide the manifest and the addresses of 17 people sitting near the girl. This means those sitting within three rows of the girl, Villaverde said.

Members of the girl's immediate family are still being closely monitored, he said.

The 10-year-old arrived in the Philippines with her parents on May 18 but did not develop a fever until the following day. She has almost recovered but is still under quarantine.

Villaverde said the child had no possible community contact, except during her flight to the Philippines.

"It looks like from her history, when she arrived she was just at home then the following day she had fever," he said.

"We don't want to create panic in her household and within her neighborhood," Villaverde said."We must be vigilant, we must not panic," he added

Villaverde also said the government would strengthen its monitoring at airports.

But the Health Department said there was no sign of a widespread outbreak and no need to suspend classes, which start in June.

More than 11,000 cases of swine flu and 85 deaths have been recorded worldwide.

While there was no travel ban to countries with confirmed H1N1cases, Villaverde cautioned against going to those areas as a precaution against the spread of the disease.

The health official also reassured the public that the DoH had at least 1.5 million Tamiflu medicine in its stockpile, which is good for 150,000 people.