A 2-month-old baby girl in Negros Occidental has tested positive for pertussis (whooping cough) in Negros Occidental, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Tuesday, April 2.
The baby, who was the first reported pertussis positive case in Negros Occidental this year, has recovered and has been discharged from the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, Lacson said.
There is information that the baby came from a household where there were people who were already coughing, Lacson said.
Negros Occidental also has 11 other suspected pertussis cases, while the Bacolod City Health Office (CHO) has reported three babies with probable pertussis.
The babies with suspected pertussis in Bacolod are all currently admitted at Bacolod hospitals, Dr. Grace Tan, CHO Environmental Sanitation Division head, said on Monday.
In Negros Occidental the 11 patients with suspected of pertussis are aged two months to 11 years old, Dr. Girlie Pinongan, Provincial Health Officer, said Tuesday.
Four are admitted while the rest are in home isolation, Pinongan said.
Nine of those with suspected pertussis are babies and the two are of school age, she said.
Samples from the patients were be sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine for tests.
Lacson said he is advising the public to wear masks, especially if there are a lot of people to avoid catching pertussis, which is highly contagious, as it is not just an ordinary cough.
Pertussis can cause serious illness in people of all ages but is most dangerous for babies, if not treated early, Lacson said, adding that it can be alarming.
Vaccination can protect babies and adults from pertussis, he said, but noted that there are some religions that don’t believe in vaccines.
The government provides free vaccines for babies, Lacson said.
Pertussis is caused by bacteria – either Bordetella pertussis or Bordetella parapertussis. Antibiotics are available and effective against them, the Department of Health (DOH) said.
It is transmitted from person to person through coughing or sneezing.
Vaccination is safe and effective against pertussis, the DOH said.
Pentavalent vaccines include protection against “DPT” (Diphtheria, Pertussis, and Tetanus), in addition to Hepatitis B and Hemophilus influenza type B.
Infants as young as six weeks may already be given this vaccine for free at government health centers. Children from 1-6 years of age may get a booster dose, the DOH said.