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BY IME SORNITO
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Saturday, March 17, 2018
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ILOILO City – There are eight confirmed cases of measles in Western Visayas since January, data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed.
Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus. It remains one of the leading causes of death among young children globally despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
DOH Region 6 is monitoring 23 other suspected measles cases, said Dr. Mary Jane Roches Juanico, child health team leader of the Health department’s regional office.
Of the eight confirmed measles cases, four were in Antique province, three in Iloilo, and one in Cuayan, Negros Occidental.
In Antique, the cases were in Culasi (1), Tibiao (1) and San Jose (2) municipalities while in Iloilo province, these were in the towns of Guimbal, Lambunao and Miag-ao.
Juanico said the measles cases in the three Iloilo towns were not related.
The case in Guimbal – a 27-year-old man – originated in Antique. The man got infected by his mother who worked at the Antique hospital where measles patients were confined.
The mother was a food handler at the hospital, said Juanico.
In Negros Occidental, the measles patient was a one-year-old baby girl.
Meanwhile, the 23 suspected measles cases were in Aklan (10), Antique (6), Capiz (3), Iloilo (2), and Negros Occidental (2).
Juanico said DOH-6 is waiting for the laboratory results of these suspected cases.
The first sign of measles is usually a high fever, which begins about 10 to 12 days after exposure to the virus, and lasts between four to seven days.
A runny nose, a cough, red and watery eyes, and small white spots inside the cheeks can develop in the initial stage.
After several days, a rash erupts, usually on the face and upper neck.
Over about three days, the rash spreads, eventually reaching the hands and feet.
The rash lasts for five to six days, and then fades.
On average, the rash occurs 14 days after exposure to the virus (within a range of seven to 18 days), according to WHO.
Juanico said DOH-6 is not inclined to declare a regional measles outbreak at this time.
“We’re still checking with DOH central office the threshold for declaring an outbreak. Kay so far medyo isolated ang cases,” said Juanico.
The provincial government of Antique declared a measles outbreak last week. Its four cases may be few but the declaration had clearance from the DOH, according to Dr. Renilyn Reyes, head of DOH-6’s Family Health and Nutrition Cluster.
Citing WHO guidelines, Reyes said the four cases were enough to declare an outbreak because the Philippines was now on the “elimination phase” of the campaign to eradicate measles.
The Philippines aims to become measles-free in the next few years.
The four measles cases in Antique were recorded between January and March 3, 2018, said Reyes.
Unvaccinated young children are at highest risk of measles and its complications, including death, according to WHO. Unvaccinated pregnant women are also at risk.
The highly contagious virus is spread by coughing and sneezing, close personal contact or direct contact with infected nasal or throat secretions.
The virus remains active and contagious in the air or on infected surfaces for up to two hours. It can be transmitted by an infected person from four days prior to the onset of the rash to four days after the rash erupts./PN
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