Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson confirmed on Tuesday, April 2, that the province has already one confirmed pertussis, or whooping cough, and six suspected cases.
The governor said the situation is already alarming but a possible outbreak is not certain yet.
Lacson said the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) has already confirmed through laboratory results of the two-month-old female infant who was admitted at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) in Bacolod City.
The baby has already recovered and was already released from the hospital, he added.
"Based on the information I received, the household of the infant already has occupants who are heavily coughing," the governor said, citing medical studies that pertussis is highly contagious.
The governor also said that the six suspected cases are children aged 11 years old and below.
"We are still waiting for the confirmatory tests from RITM if the six other samples sent were pertussis cases, too," he said.
Lacson has been reminding the public to continue wearing masks for protection and to avoid contaminating pertussis.*