|
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Immunization v. meningococcemia set
By Rimaliza Opiña
ONE YEAR after the "unusual increase" of meningococcemia cases in the region, Baguio City registered the most number of cases with 78 confirmed cases, the latest of which was recorded last October 8.
Records from the Department of Health-Regional Epidemiological Surveillance Unit (DOH-Resu) Cordilleras revealed that from Sept. 26, 2004 to Oct. 8, 2005, 410 cases of classified meningococcemia cases were recorded.
Of the 410, 30 deaths were recorded out of the 182 confirmed meningococcemia cases, said Dr. Elnoria Bugnosen.
The province of Benguet came in second with 76 registered cases, Mountain Province with 24, two in Ifugao and two from Region 1 that were referred to Baguio.
Bugnosen said the highest recorded number of cases was on January this year with 25 confirmed cases.
The DOH Cordilleras, meanwhile, is set to conduct an immunization drive against meningococcemia targeting children aged 0 to 8 years old, the age identified as the most susceptible in acquiring the bacterial disease.
The Resu has yet to announce the schedule of the administration of vaccines.
It may be recalled that on the last week of October last year, several Baguio residents and tourists 'panicked' after the DoH confirmed that four of the 10 sentinel hospitals in the region - the Baguio General Hospital, Baguio Medical Center, SLU Hospital of the Sacred Heart and the Benguet General Hospital - admitted a total 18 suspected meningococcemia cases.
On November 17 last year, news spread that four of the eight patients admitted died in a matter of 48 hours.
City and regional health personnel then denied that there was an outbreak, saying there was merely an "unusual increase" in the number of cases.
The DOH central office subsequently issued a red alert December last year following the consecutive admission of cases and recorded deaths.
The red alert was then "lowered" by former Health Secretary Dayrit after noting a decrease in the number of cases in the last week of January.
Meningococcemia is a communicable disease caused by the bacteria Neissera meningitiditis. The bacteria normally stays in the throat of a healthy individual but if an individual has a weak immune system, the bacteria could go to the bloodstream, which could lead to septicemia or infection in the blood, or meningococcemia.
Symptoms of the disease include headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, stiff neck, vomiting, seizures, nerve palsies, and gait disturbance.
The mode of transmission is through droplets coming from the mouth and nose with incubation period ranging from two to 10 days.
The disease is treated with the administration of antibiotics such as Penicillin or rifampicin a semisynthetic drug, which inhibits the growth of bacterial cells.
Prevention and control is through the maintenance of sanitation and by avoiding crowded places and close contact with those suspected to have acquired the disease.
(October 25, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
|
