Measles outbreak declared in Olongapo City; 80 cases recorded

City health officials have declared a measles outbreak in Olongapo City on Thursday as the number of patients infected by the viral disease continues to rise in the area.

 

Health officials have recorded at least 80 confirmed cases of measles, mostly children, a report on GMA News TV's Balitanghali said.

 

Meanwhile, Dr. Jesse Manuel, hospital administrator of James Gordon Memorial Hospital, said a person with cerebral palsy has died due to the highly-contagious disease, the report said.

 

Patients have been placed in an isolated area to prevent the spread of the disease, it added.

 

Manuel said 98 percent of the patients are children aged 0 to 5 years old, including a one-month-old infant, who has been discharged after six days of confinement.

 

"Ang ginagawa dito, dahil na-immunocompromised na ang mga batang ito, ay binibigyan po natin ng malalakas na antibiotic para ma-address ang complication ng measles tulad ng pneumonia," he said.

 

"Ang ibig sabihin po ng immunocompromised ay mababa ang resistensya ng pasyente ngayon," he explained. 

 

Manuel noted that while only infants nine months old and above are vaccinated, they are now studying the possibility of getting vaccines that may be given to infants below nine months old as the victims have become much younger.

 

Earlier, the Department of Health declared measles outbreaks in five cities in Metro Manila, including Caloocan, Las Piñas, Manila, Muntinlupa, and Parañaque.

 

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.

 

It said an outbreak may occur in a restricted geographical area, or may extend over several countries. It may also last for a few days or weeks, or for several years. —Amanda Fernandez/KG, GMA News