Philippines posts more than 400 whooping cough cases

THE PHILIPPINES has posted hundreds of whooping cough cases this year, the Department of Health (DoH) said on Thursday, as the country’s largest city declared an outbreak.

More than 400 cases of pertussis have been recorded in the first 10 weeks of the year mainly due to disruptions to routine immunization at the primary-care level during the pandemic, Health Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa said in a statement.

Quezon City has declared a pertussis outbreak after logging 23 cases as of March 20.

Pertussis or whooping cough, a highly contagious bacterial respiratory infection that can be treated by antibiotics, causes influenza-like symptoms such as mild fever, colds and coughs seven to 10 weeks after exposure.

In typical cases, it may develop into a “characteristic hacking cough,” the DoH said. Pertussis is locally known as ubong-dalahit or tuspirina.

There were only dozens of confirmed pertussis cases in the first 10 weeks of 2019 and 2022, and at the height of the pandemic, cases fell to seven in 2021 and to two in 2022, the agency said.

There were 23 whooping cough cases in the first 10 weeks of 2023, when pandemic restrictions had been lifted, it said.

“Disruptions in routine immunization at primary care during the pandemic are seen to be the main reason why, for the first 10 weeks of 2024, there already are 453 reported cases of pertussis,” it added.

The latest tally for Quezon City is high considering that no pertussis cases were logged during the same period last year, the Quezon City Epidemiology and Surveillance Division said in a Facebook post.

The DoH said vaccination is the best protection against whooping cough.

The Health department had recorded 569 measles and rubella cases as of Feb. 24, 163 of which were reported between Feb. 11 and 24 — 3% higher two weeks earlier.

It said cases in all regions except Bicol and Central Visayas had increased in the past month.

“Epidemiologic profile shows that those under five years of age and who are unvaccinated are the most affected,” the DoH said.

Measles spreads from infected people through the air, especially through coughing or sneezing, the agency said. Symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose and rashes.

“It affects all age groups, but is more common in children,” it said. “There is no specific treatment for the virus that causes measles; however, vaccination protects against it.” —