By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Negros Occidental Provincial Health Office (PHO), over the weekend, confirmed they are monitoring four suspected cases of measles in Kabankalan City.

In a radio interview, PHO head, Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, said the four cases are in the city’s Barangay Camugao.

Two of the patients are presently admitted at the Lorenzo Zayco District Hospital while two others are outpatients, he explained.

Tumimbang said the patients are composed of an eight-month-old child, a 10-year-old girl, a 22-year-old woman, and a 38-year-old man.

He added, the patients did not undergo vaccination prior to contracting the virus.

The PHO head stated they have already taken specimens from the patients, which are now being examined at a laboratory in Metro Manila.

Tumimbang noted “catch-up immunizations” are now being conducted in the said neighborhood.

Last week, the Department of Health (DOH) in Negros Oriental declared a measles outbreak in the province.

Among the towns and cities affected by the outbreak include Bacong, Dumaguete City, Mabinay, San Jose, Santa Catalina, Siaton, and Valencia.

The provincial DOH head said he believes the measles cases in the province may have been sparked by children who were not immunized or whose immunizations were “incomplete.”/DGB, WDJ