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Friday, December 24, 2004
New case of infectious blood disease in Baguio
By Rimaliza Opiņa
BAGUIO CITY -- A five-year-old boy suspected of having meningococcemia, an acute infection of the bloodstream, died Monday night at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center, health authorities said.
He was admitted to the hospital earlier at 10 a.m. that same day and died several hours later.
City Health Officer Florence Reyes told Sun.Star that doctors tried to save the boy but that the disease was in its advanced stage when he was brought in.
Meningococcemia is caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitides, which frequently live in the upper respiratory tract without any evidence of illness until some event triggers their aggressive behavior.
As of Thursday, health officials have recorded 28 cases of meningococcemia in the Cordillera this year.
Of these cases, 13 died while the rest recovered from the bacterial disease.
"Meningococcemia is disease, which when left untreated, can take one's life in a matter of hours," Reyes warned.
Like in the previous cases, prophylactic treatments have already been administered to those who came into contact with the patient.
The disease is spread from person to person through respiratory droplets.
In Thursday's Kapihan sa Baguio, Reyes explained that although the spread of meningococcemia in the city was already contained, an individual may still be acquire the disease as the bacteria that cause the illness naturally inhabit a person's upper respiratory tract.
Reyes said 20 to 40 percent of the general populace is asymptomatic carriers, or persons who have the bacteria in their system but don't get affected because they have a strong immune system.
Antonio Bautista, head of the Infectious Disease Cluster of the DOH-CAR, reminded the public not to disregard the signs and symptoms of meningococcemia.
If diagnosed early, the disease could be treated even by penicillin, the cheapest known antibiotic, he said.
The antibiotic is administered usually through intravenous injection.
(December 24, 2004 issue)
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