NegOcc records 19 suspected pertussis cases

BACOLOD City – The Provincial Health Office (PHO) of Negros Occidental has recorded 19 suspected cases of pertussis or whooping cough.

Dr. Girlie Pinongan, PHO chief, said the patients are one month to 62 years old; seven of them are currently admitted at the hospitals and the rest are under home isolation and treatment.

Pinongan said they have yet to send the specimens of the latest monitored suspected cases for confirmation to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).

As for the specimens sent earlier, she said they were still waiting for the results as of this writing.

“It takes a while before we get the results. In the meantime, we are taking care of these patients,” the PHO chief added.

Pertussis is highly contagious respiratory disease and children are especially vulnerable to the infection.

The symptoms can be mild for adults, however it can become severe among infants and young children.

Infection can be acquired primarily through direct contact with discharges from the respiratory mucus membranes of i nfected persons.

Meanwhile, the province’s confirmed pertussis case remained at one.

The two-month-old baby girl’s condition was confirmed by a confirmatory test result from the RITM.

The baby was admitted to Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in this capital city but was later discharged after she recovered.

Earlier, the PHO urged parents to have their children vaccinated against pertussis

Children should complete their primary vaccination to be protected from diseases, said Pinongan.

The PHO also advised Negrenses to wear facemask at home, especially if a family member is coughing.

Also, observe preventive measures such as frequent hand- washing with soap and water or using alcoholbased sanitizers, it added.