DOH checking if new virus strain caused measles outbreak

A spokesperson of the San Lazaro Hospital in Manila said the health department is looking at a possible new strain of measles that caused the outbreak in Metro Manila.

 

"(W)e are observing if this is a new strain of measles virus," Dr. Ferdinand De Guzman said in a "24 Oras" report Wednesday.

 

Health Assistant Secretary Eric Tayag said the health department would investigate what caused the outbreak even with its free vaccination program for children under five years old.

 

"Sinong mga hindi nabakunahan? Bakit hindi sila nabakanunahan?... Pwede rin naman na hindi nakarating ang mga bakuna namin," he said.

 

 Tayag also said that those infected were not vaccinated ahead of the infection.

 

"'Yung bakuna, magkakaroon lang ng epekto after four weeks. Kung ikaw nahawa, pwede ka magkatigdas after three weeks... Mauunahan ka ng sakit," Tayag said in the report.

 

Tayag earlier said the measles outbreak was caused by some local government units’ (LGUs) failure to implement the state-sponsored immunization program in their respective areas.

 

The health department declared measles outbreaks in five cities in Metro Manila as the number of patients infected by the virus continues to rise in Caloocan City, Las Pinas City, Manila, Muntinlupa City, and Parañaque City.

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) said an outbreak is the occurrence of cases of disease in excess of what would normally be expected in a defined community, geographical area or season.

 

The "24 Oras" report said the health department declares an outbreak even with one infected as the patient may infect 18 others.

 

The symptoms of measles are redness of the eyes, coughs and colds, fever reaching 40 degrees Celsius, and rashes on the ears, face, neck, and the whole body, and difficulty of breathing, the health department said.

 

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease transmitted through droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of infected persons, the WHO said.

 

The WHO said there is no specific treatment for measles and recovery may take two to three weeks. But complications of measles in malnourished children may result in blindness, diarrhea, pneumonia, encephalitis and ear infection.  — MJC/ELR, GMA News