Whooping cough or pertussis outbreak declared in Quezon City

Quezon City declared Thursday an outbreak of whooping cough or pertussis  following an increase in the cases of the contagious respiratory infection.

“Idineklara ngayong araw ni Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte ang ‘pertussis outbreak’ sa buong lungsod Quezon,” the local government unit said in a statement.

(Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte declared today a ‘pertussis outbreak’ in the entire city.)

In a press conference, Mayor Joy Belmonte said 23 cases of pertussis have been reported in the city as of March 20.

Four babies already died due to the infection.

“As of March 20 this year, we already recorded 23 cases of pertussis. What is more heartbreaking is this acute infectious disease has claimed the lives of four babies,” she said.

Belmonte said there was no case of pertussis in Quezon City from January to March last year. For the entire 2023, 27 cases were reported with three fatalities.

Pertussis is a contagious disease in lungs caused by a bacteria called Bordetella pertussis, the Quezon City government said citing the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

All people may develop the disease but the most vulnerable are children aged five and below, especially those who have yet to be vaccinated and with weak resistance.

The disease may be passed on when an infected person sneezes or coughs and transfers the bacteria to other people.—AOL, GMA Integrated News