ILOILO City – The number of suspected measles cases in Western Visayas already reached 818 as of March 1, according to the Department of Health (DOH) Region 6.
Of these cases, four led to death, DOH records showed.
The latest fatality was that of a five-month-old boy in Bago City, Negros Occidental.
The baby suffered from respiratory failure due to pneumonia with measles, DOH said. He was taken to the Bago City Hospital on Feb. 19 and expired there on Feb. 23.
The province of Negros Occidental still has the most number of suspected measles cases with 298, including three deaths.
Antique followed with 186 cases, including one death; Bacolod City with 112; Iloilo province with 96; Aklan, 52; Iloilo City, 31; Capiz, 25; and Guimaras, five.
Twelve individuals who were not from Region 6 were also detected with suspected measles by local health facilities.
Out of the total number of suspected measles cases in Region 6 since January this year, the DOH already confirmed 51.
These were recorded in Antique (nine), Iloilo province (seven), Negros Occidental (31), and Bacolod City (four).
Some 179, or 21.8 percent, of the total number of suspected measles cases were that of children below nine months old, said Dr. Renilyn Reyes, head of DOH Region 6’s Family Health and Nutrition Cluster.
Meanwhile, 56 – or 6.8 percent – were that of children aged 9 to 11 months old; 153, or 18.7 percent, of one to five years old; 45, or 5.5 percent, of six to 10 years old; 35, or 4.3 percent, of 11 to 15 years old; and 350, or 42.7 percent, of 16 years old and above.
Based on their immunization status, 238 were immunized, 433 were unimmunized and 147 have unknown status./PN
