21 pertussis cases recorded in 4 Bicol provinces

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The Department of Health Bicol Center for Health Development (DOH Bicol CHD) has recorded a total of 21 pertussis, or whooping cough, cases in four provinces of the Bicol Region, as of this writing.

There are five clinical cases and six laboratory-confirmed cases of pertussis reported by the Department of Health in the Bicol Region.

The province with the highest number of pertussis cases registered is Camarines Sur, with nine cases reported, including one fatality.

According to DOH Bicol CHD-Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, the provinces with pertussis cases are as follows:

Camarines Sur: 9

Albay: 6

Sorsogon: 5

Masbate: 1

According to Marietta Almendral, a Barangay Health Worker in Barangay Sua, Camaligan, extreme heat can exacerbate symptoms of pertussis, causing severe coughing fits in children.

“Pig-advise mi sa mga magurang na in case na igwang symptoms of pertussis, arog kaiyan na nag-aabo, lalo sa aking saradit, agad magduman sa health center,” Almendral said.

If two days or more have passed and the coughing is still present, it is important to have the child checked up.

Almost all children in Barangay Sua are fully immunized.

The Department of Health encourages parents to stay informed about their children’s vaccination status and adhere to the routine immunization schedule to protect them from pertussis.—GMA Regional TV

This article 21 pertussis cases recorded in 4 Bicol provinces was originally published in GMA News Online.