Ga. Vilingili finds three cases of the previously contained, highly contagious disease, whooping cough, that put children at risk. Contact tracing, as well as measures to prevent its spread, are being conducted.
Gaafu Alif Vilin'gili has reported three children positive for Pertussis [also called Whooping cough] within this month. Pertussis is an illness that has been contained in Maldives for years. This is a highly contagious respiratory illness caused by the bacterium Bordetella Pertussis.
A press release by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) reveals that contact tracing was done together with the island and IGMH (India Gandhi Memorial Hospital). This tracing found children under a year old and women who are over 6 months pregnant as contacts, who were provided with the antibiotic prophylaxis that is used as a precaution to prevent an infection, rather than treat.
Contacts who carried signs of the disease were also tested and provided with medicine.
At the spreading of the disease, Gaafu Alif Atoll Hospital combined a task force who has been working to manage the illness together with the concerned institutions in the island.
The hospital instructed to vaccinate children under 4 who has not completed their doses as infants and toddlers are at the most risk from this illness.
The press release also urged the public to seek immediate medical care if symptoms are seen within an infant, toddler and pregnant women, in addition to those experiencing chronic (prolonged) coughing episode, difficulties due to coughing and ongoing treatment for chronic illnesses. HPA said that the previous outbreak of Whooping cough was contained with the regular administration of protective vaccines. However, a few rare cases were still seen within the country.
This airborne disease will first cause the general symptoms of a cold such as fever and blocked nose. A week after these light symptoms, Pertussis patients will find themselves in a series of uncontrolled, prolonged coughing spell. Additional symptoms may also be seen in infants and toddlers.
Those with completed doses of vaccines may not see the symptoms of this disease, according to HPA. The only treatment for Whooping Cough is antibiotics and the most common complications of Pertussis is bacterial pneumonia and lung infections.
HPA says that timely completion of the preventive vaccine doses for Whopping Cough is very important. The first dose of the preventive vaccine will be administered between 2-4 months of birth and the DPT vaccine booster shot will be given at the age of four.
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