DOH: Pertussis cases in Calabarzon still rising

Calabarzon. INQUIRER FILES

LUCENA CITY — The number of pertussis cases in the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) region continues to rise, the Department of Health (DOH) reported.

On Monday, April 15, the DOH-Center for Health Development Calabarzon (DOH-CHD 4A) released the latest result of its “pertussis tracker” showing its Morbidity Week 15 record covering Jan. 1 to April 13.

The latest record listed that the total number of cases reached 319 from only 276 a week ago based on the agency’s Morbidity Week 14 list.

Cavite had the highest number of pertussis cases since Jan. 1 with 70 live patients and eight fatalities.

READ: DOH: Calabarzon logs 103 confirmed pertussis cases

Rizal followed next with 71 and five deaths; Laguna, 57 and four deaths; Batangas, 59 but no deaths; Quezon, 42 and zero fatality; and Lucena City, 3 and zero deaths.

Based on the latest record, Cavite has 30 “confirmed” living pertussis patients and five fatalities as of April 13.

Laguna has 26 confirmed cases and three deaths; Rizal, 22 and two deaths; Batangas, 21, 0 deaths; Quezon, 7, 0 deaths; and Lucena City, 2, 0 deaths.

The DOH defines a “confirmed” case if the patient has an “acute cough illness of any duration with a positive culture for B. pertussis; if it meets the clinical case definition and is confirmed by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test; and if it is epidemiologically linked directly to a case confirmed by either culture or PCR.”

READ: 1 million pertussis vaccines to arrive in PH by June–DOH

The latest result also showed that Rizal topped the list of those classified as “clinical cases” with 49 living patients and two fatalities

Cavite followed with 40 living clinical patients and three deaths; Batangas, 38, 0; Quezon, 35, 0; Laguna, 31, 1; and Lucena City, 1, 0.

Health authorities define a “clinical” case if the patient shows coughing lasting at least two weeks characterized by at least one of the following: paroxysms (i.e. fits) of coughing; inspiratory “whooping”; post-tussive vomiting (i.e. vomiting immediately after coughing); or without other apparent cause.

Pertussis is caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis or Bordetella parapertussis, which causes cough, colds, and fever.

While treatable, it poses a threat to infants and young children, who are at risk of severe symptoms and life-threatening complications and outcomes.

READ:DOH: 40 child deaths due to pertussis logged so far this year

Last week, the DOH said vaccines against pertussis may face a shortage by May.

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said the agency had ordered this year’s supply for the typical 5-in-1 vaccine for pertussis (or the pentavalent vaccine for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, haemophilus influenza B, and hepatitis) but is set to arrive by June, which means the DOH may need to order an older type of vaccine called DPT, which could fight off only diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis.

The DOH said that from January 1 to March 30, it recorded 1,112 cases with 54 deaths across the country.