By JEN BAYLON

Thirty-eight confirmed cases of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, were recorded in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City.

Of the number, 24 were recorded in the province, while 14 were reported in Bacolod.

The latest data from the Negros Occidental Provincial Health Office showed there are 17 probable pertussis cases in the province.

The municipalities of Murcia, Cauayan, Hinoba-an, and E.B. Magalona, as well as the cities of Victorias, Silay and Cadiz, have reported confirmed pertussis cases.

Meanwhile, the Bacolod City Health Office reported 47 probable cases, with one case subject to confirmation.

Barangay Tangub recorded the highest number of confirmed cases with three, while Barangay Taculing has two cases.

Negros Occidental has one fatality due to pertussis, local health officials reported, which involved a one-month-old boy who died at Corazon Locsin Montelibano Regional Hospital in Bacolod last April.

Pertussis is a highly-contagious respiratory disease, and children are the most vulnerable to infection.

The characteristic “whooping” sound occurs when the patient inhales after a severe coughing fit.

The illness usually begins with cold-like symptoms, such as runny nose and mild cough, which could intensify over a period of two weeks./JB, WDJ