Health Protection Agency HPA says three children from the southern island of Gaafu Alifu Villigilli have tested positive for Pertussis or Whopping Cough, an illness that has been controlled in the Maldives for years.
HPA said that the cases were reported this month. It said that precautionary measures have now been taken given the discovery of these cases.
HPA revealed that state-run IGMH is working with Gaafu Alifu Atoll Hospital to carry out contact tracing of the patients who tested positive for Pertussis.
It said that children below 1 and pregnant women who are identified as contacts of the patients would be given antibiotic prophylaxis. HPA also said that contacts who show symptoms of Pertussis will be tested for the illness while they would also be given the medicine to fight the disease.
HPA noted that a special task force would be assembled from Gaafu Alifu Atoll Hospital and that the team would work with island authorities to control the spread of this disease.
The Agency said that Pertussis had been controlled in the Maldives since authorities began giving vaccines for the illness regularly but that some cases surfaced once in a while.
HPA said that Pertussis is most dangerous to small children and urged the public to vaccinate all children under 7 who have not been vaccinated against Pertussis.
Pertussis is a very contagious respiratory infection that causes a distinctive “whooping” cough. The condition can cause bouts of repeated, violent coughing that may come and go and last for weeks or months. Pertussis can cause severe, life-threatening illness, especially in babies.
