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Copyright © 2024 CGTN. 京ICP备20000184号
Disinformation report hotline: 010-85061466
The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday said the contagious bacterial disease called pertussis continues to spread in the country, noting that 54 children have died from the respiratory disease.
From January 1 to March 30, the DOH tallied 1,112 cases, or "almost 34 times that of the same period last year," with 54 deaths. "All 54 deaths are less than 5 years old," DOH Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo told reporters.
In the past six weeks, Domingo said the DOH noted "a continuous increase in the number of pertussis cases" in five regions in the main Luzon island, the central and the southern Philippines.
"Of the total pertussis cases thus far recorded, 77 percent were less than 5 years old. Adults aged 20 and older account for only around 4 percent of cases," he added.
According to Domingo, the number of cases "may still change, as there may be late consultations and reports."
Pertussis, or whopping cough, is a highly contagious disease caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. It spreads quickly from person to person, mainly through droplets produced by coughing or sneezing.
The disease can cause complications and even threaten lives, especially for babies. The best way to prevent pertussis is through immunization.
The DOH has urged parents to have their infants as young as 6 weeks old vaccinated.
(Cover: A worker holds a plastic divider inside a field hospital at a park in Manila, Philippines, June 24, 2021. /CFP)