GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 14 December)—Health personnel in South Cotabato have stepped up their surveillance against “walking pneumonia” amid the increase in cases of influenza-like illness, which already resulted to 13 deaths.
Health authorities in South Cotabato are alarmed over the spread of ‘walking pneumonia’ in scenic Lake Sebu and neighboring T’boli municipality. MindaNews file photo by JULES L. BENITEZ
A report from the epidemiology and surveillance unit of the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) said it recorded 20 confirmed cases of Influenza B virus and 4,505 suspected influenza-like illness from Jan. 1 to Dec. 2 this year.
The reported fatalities and confirmed cases were from Barangay Ned in Lake Sebu and parts of Tboli town.
Dr. Rogelio Aturdido Jr., IPHO chief, said the influenza-like illness recorded from January to December is up by 143 percent but noted “it was a good thing the cases already plateaued” in the past several weeks.
“In South Cotabato, the cases of influenza-like illness is high. This walking pneumonia is an influenza-like illness, and we have not determined if these cases are walking pneumonia or not,” he said via Facebook podcast aired Wednesday by the IPHO.
The Department of Health (DOH) earlier allayed fears over the “walking pneumonia” or Mycoplasma pneumoniae, noting that it is curable and prevented through the observance of minimum public health protocol.
Last week, it reported four cases of the disease detected in laboratory tests among those infected with influenza-like illness.
DOH said influenza-like illness presents as fever, sore throat, and cough and that Mycoplasma is “not unusual, but a common pathogen.”
It said all ages can be affected by walking pneumonia, and those with weak immune system and living in close settings are at higher risk for more severe infection.
Although now voluntary, Aturdido advised residents to wear face masks whenever inside enclosed and crowded places.
He said regular handwashing and observing proper sanitation can also prevent infection from influenza-like illness and “walking pneumonia.”
“This is just temporary to prevent cases from increasing further,” Aturdido added. (Allen V. Estabillo / MindaNews)
