A six-year-old boy was the first fatality of pertussis, or whooping cough, recorded in Bacolod City, as of Morbidity Week 22.
Dr. Grace Tan, head of the City Health Office (CHO) Environmental Sanitation Division, said yesterday that from January to June 1, 2024, Bacolod City had 53 probable pertussis cases with one death.
She said the boy, a resident of Barangay Villamonte, expired on May 26.
She added of 53 probable pertussis cases, 16 of them have tested positive for pertussis, 33 were negative and four are still pending release.
Tan noted that all the sample specimens of the patients were sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).
Tan said the barangays with the highest number of confirmed pertussis cases include Barangay Taculing with three cases, Barangays Tangub, Villamonte, and Vista Alegre with two cases each.
She said pertussis is a very contagious respiratory illness caused by a type of bacteria called Bordetella pertussis, adding that most of the pertussis cases in other regions involved two-month-old babies.
The CHO has already tasked the barangay health centers to intensify their mapping program to determine the number of unvaccinated children within their barangays.
Tan said that parents should bring their children to the health centers for vaccination, especially those under five years old, to protect the vulnerable population.
She said the most common transmission of pertussis is through contact with respiratory droplets or airborne droplets. (MAP)