DUMAGUETE CITY — The Department of Health (DOH) in Negros Oriental on Tuesday allayed public concern over the outbreak of measles in some areas in the province saying that it is not that alarming yet.
Dr. Socrates Villamor, provincial chief of the DOH-Negros Oriental, explained that the measles cases reported since January this year are minimal but because of the government’s efforts to make the Philippines measles-free, even a single “laboratory-confirmed” case of measles can already be considered an outbreak.
Latest available records from the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) of the DOH here showed that a total of 21 measles cases have been reported in one city and six municipalities of the province.
Of the number, 12 are suspect cases and nine are laboratory-confirmed cases. The areas have now been declared under a state of “measles outbreak.”
The measles cases are reported in the provincial capital, Dumaguete City, and in the towns of Bacong, Mabinay, Sta. Catalina, San Jose, Siaton and Valencia.
Dumaguete City had the highest number of cases with seven suspect and two laboratory-confirmed cases.
According to Villamor, the confirmed measles cases this year involved adults, and the incidents are sporadic and affected areas not clustered, “although we are still trying to get some more data”.
“What is important for us is that we want to cut the transmission (of the measles virus) as much as possible” especially to children below five years old,” he said.
There is a possibility that those afflicted with measles may not have been immunized when they were children or their immunization status is incomplete, the DOH official said.
Measles is a highly contagious viral infection transmitted through secretions when people come in contact with those infected with the virus, and therefore it is important for people to pay attention to hygiene and to avoid crowded places.
Washing of hands regularly can also be a preventive measure against contracting measles.
The DOH in the province is now determining what they call the index case so they can investigate further the measles outbreak and see where it started. (Mary Judaline Partlow/PNA)
