DOH confirms diphtheria caused the death of grade schooler in Manila

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday confirmed that diphtheria was the cause of death of an elementary student in Manila.

The DOH said the 10-year-old grade 4 student of the Jacinto Zamora Elementary School in Pandacan, Manila, who died last Friday, September 20, was suspected to have contracted the highly communicable bacterial infection.

READ: DOH: Diphtheria cases slightly higher, but still no outbreak

Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo said on Thursday that the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), which conducted laboratory tests to verify if it was a diphtheria case, released the results this morning.

“Lumabas na ‘yung test sa RITM this morning and ‘yung patient natin sa Manila na 10-year-old was confirmed to be [affected by] diphtheria,” he said. 

(The test from the RITM came out this morning and our 10-year-old patient from Manila was confirmed to be affected by diphtheria.)

Domingo assured that the DOH regional office in Manila acted promptly in responding to the student’s case. This included cleaning the sites where the patient was, identifying people she had contact with such as family members and neighbors, and having them checked and given antibiotics.

He said that the school where the grade 4 student studied can already be used.

“Pwede na, pwede nang gamitin ‘yung eskwela [They can, they can now use the school],” the DOH official said.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), diphtheria usually infects the throat and upper airways and produces a toxin affecting other organs.

In severe cases, diphtheria can also weaken the heart muscles, cause chest pains and may even lead to heart failure.

The disease spreads by way of direct physical contact or from breathing in the aerosolized secretions from coughs or sneezes of infected individuals, WHO said.

Its symptoms include difficulty in breathing and swallowing, and a membrane covering the throat and sinus. /jpv