Iloilo City has been placed under a state of calamity due to the outbreak of pertussis, a contagious disease in lungs caused by a bacteria.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) approved on Tuesday, March 26, a resolution declaring a state of calamity.
The declaration was recommended by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC).
As of March 24, the Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit of the City Health Office (CHO) logged seven confirmed cases of pertussis.
The cases were recorded in the districts of Molo, Jaro, Arevalo and Lapuz.
With the declaration of a state of calamity, the city governmrnt will be allowed to utilize its 30 percent Quick Response Fund for the procurement of medicines and vaccines for pertussis.
Pertussis or whooping cough, which is most dangerous among infants, can be transmitted through droplets produced by coughing or sneezing, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
It can also spread when people share the same breathing space in close proximity, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States said.
The most common symptoms are mild fever, runny or stuffy nose, and cough that appear about a week after infection.IMT
