By Mae Singuay

The Bacolod City Health Office (CHO) has recorded two suspected new cases of pertussis or whopping cough.

CHO’s Environment Sanitation Division chief Grace Tan said the specimens were already sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine for confirmatory results.

She added that most pertussis cases were children under two months old.

Tan did not give more details about the suspected cases, pending the release of the CHO’s Morbidity Week No. 13 advisory.

No pertussis cases have been recorded in the city this year.

Tan also encouraged the vaccination of children against pertussis, as some need to catch up for the complete immunization status.

Several parents claimed that they failed to bring their children for vaccinations, she said.

The Barangay Health Workers are now conducting mapping to determine how many children need to catch up on their vaccinations.

Pertussis is a highly-contagious respiratory disease.

Its symptoms can be mild for adults, but it can become severe among infants and young children.

Infection can be acquired primarily through direct contact with discharges from the respiratory mucus membranes of infected persons./MS, WDJ