Confirmed pertussis cases in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City increased to 38, reports from health officials on Thursday, May 30, showed.
In Negros Occidental there are 24 confirmed pertussis cases and 17 probable cases, Dr. Girlie Pinongan, Provincial Health Officer, said.
In Bacolod City the pertussis positive cases increased to 14, a City Health Office report said.
Tangub had the most number of cases at three followed by Taculing with two, it said.
The CHO said pertussis is a vaccine preventable disease that spreads easily from person to person through droplets from coughing and sneezing and is most dangerous in infants causing deaths in this age group.
Completion of pertussis vaccination is strongly encouraged in children under 2 years old. Close contacts of confirmed cases are traced for antibiotic prophylaxis, the CHO said.*