Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Thursday declared a pertussis or whooping cough outbreak after the city logged 23 cases of the contagious respiratory infection.
In a press briefing, Belmonte said the Quezon City Epidemiology and Surveillance Division (QCESD) made the tally of infections from January 1 to March 20.
Of the 23 cases, the mayor said that four babies already died due to the infection.
"As of March 20 this year, we already recorded 23 cases of pertussis. What is more heartbreaking is this acute infectious disease has claimed the lives of four babies," she said.
Citing the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the QCESD defined pertussis as a contagious disease in the lungs caused by a bacteria called Bordetella pertussis.
"Lahat ng indibidwal anuman ang edad ay maaring magkaroon nito ngunit pinakaapektado ay mga bata 5 taong gulang pababa lalo na ang mga walang bakuna at mahinang resistensya," its post read.
The disease may be passed on when an infected person sneezes or coughs and transfers the bacteria to other people.
