23 CASES Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte (middle) updates journalists on the pertussis outbreak in her city. —PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK OF JOY BELMONTE
Quezon City has officially declared outbreaks of pertussis, or whooping cough, while the city of Pasig has reported more cases of the severely contagious respiratory disease that is fatal for infants and young children.
The Pasig local government told reporters on Friday that they’ve already enforced its public health response at the barangays with reported cases to map out their vaccination efforts.
As of Friday morning, there have been 17 confirmed whooping cough cases in the city.
Of this number, two infants have died—a 1-month-old male and a 2-month-old female.
There are still eight probable cases still waiting for their test confirmation.
The local government assured the public they had enough vaccine and post-exposure prophylaxis to counter the ongoing whooping cough outbreak.
READ: DOH pushes vaccines as measles, pertussis cases go up
On Thursday, Quezon City also confirmed an outbreak of pertussis with 23 cases as of Wednesday. Four of these were infants confirmed to have succumbed to the disease.
Pertussis is caused by the bacteria called Bordetella pertussis and can be passed on by sneezing or coughing.
It is also transmitted through respiratory droplets or contact with airborne droplets, as well as exposure to infected or contaminated utensils, clothes, furniture, etc.
It is characterized by a persistent cough that may last for two weeks or more, a runny nose, and mild fever.
Up to three weeks
After 10 days from exposure, a person can develop coughs and mild fever. It is most contagious up to about three weeks after the cough begins.
But it can also cause more severe cases such as pneumonia, seizures, brain damage, and even death, especially for infants and children below five years of age and those immunocompromised, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Infants and children aged 2 months old and above should be given regular diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccination.
The San Juan City local government also told the Inquirer on Friday that while they have not declared an outbreak, they have had two whooping cough cases—a 3-month-old infant and a 5-year-old. Both have now recovered.
As this developed, infectious diseases expert and president of the Philippine College of Physicians Dr. Rontgene Solante advised vulnerable sectors, such as children and the elderly, to consider wearing face masks or getting vaccinated against pertussis.
“One of the ways to prevent its spread, especially if there is someone in the household with symptoms, is what we did during the COVID-19 pandemic—which is to wear face masks, especially in households with vulnerable populations like the elderly,” he said in an interview.
Vaccination advised
Solante pointed out that children are not the only ones vulnerable to contracting whooping cough, but also the elderly who did not get vaccinated against pertussis.
The infectious diseases expert warned that pertussis may worsen into pneumonia, respiratory failure, encephalopathy or disturbances in the brain’s functioning, and convulsions among infants.
With the declaration of a pertussis outbreak in Quezon City, Solante stressed the importance of vaccinating the vulnerable sectors of the population, especially children.
Solante warned that pertussis, being a highly contagious bacterial infection, can easily spread to elderly adults and to the rest of Metro Manila because of its dense population.
“We are not panicking, but it’s something that we need to monitor. Pertussis should not be taken lightly, especially among children and infants because it could lead to complications and even death,” Solante said.