The Philippine Department of Health on Tuesday denied the rumors circulated by text messages that eating seafood from contaminated waters could spread the so-calledZulican virus, a local TV reported.

Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit told the ABS-CBN news channel that the reports are not true and the virus does not exist.

"That's not true. That's really a hoax," Dayrit said. "It's thefirst time I've heard about such (virus)."

According to the TV report, text messages claimed that the deadly virus came from seafood following the contamination of Asian seas after the tsunamis that hit the southern parts of the region on Dec. 26, 2004.

The TV also cited the Singapore's Agriculture, Food and Veterinarian Authority to assure that there is no such virus and seafood is safe from any threat of contamination.

In a separate case, thousands of people fled home in the southern Philippines after receiving text messages warning that tsunamis would hit their province of Tawi-Tawi.

More villagers went into panic after another wave of text messages reporting that eight fishermen were killed and hundreds of residents missing after a tsunami struck Bungis island near theborder with Malaysia.

However, the disaster and casualties have been denied by Tawi-Tawi officials and the provincial police.