THE Department of Health (DOH)-Western Visayas declared measles outbreak inside the compound of Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Barangay Handumanan, Bacolod City.
As of November 12, about 25 inmates have been suffering from fever and rashes inside the BJMP-Handumanan, Dr. Grace Tan, head of CHO-Environment Sanitation Division, said Tuesday, November 13.
Of the 25 inmates, 19 inmates have been placed in the isolation area.
If there’s an increase of fever and rashes, Tan said they leveled it as suspected measles unless it will be confirmed with the laboratory test.
However, she said the Department of Health (DOH)-Western Visayas called it an outbreak.
“We talked with the immunization coordinator and the DOH, and we came up with a plan to conduct a mass immunization among our inmates in BJMP-Handumanan, both male and female inmates, to stop the spread of the virus,” she added.
The anti-measles-rubella immunization will be held Wednesday, November 14, at 10 a.m. at the BJMP-Handumanan.
Tan said they already get an approval from Mayor Evelio Leonardia for the immunization program at BJMP-Handumanan.
“This is also to encourage everyone that we have to be aware because we have an increase of fever and rashes which we leveled it as suspected measles,” she said.
Tan noted that some of the inmates started suffering from fever and rashes last month during their National Correctional Consciousness Week wherein they received several visitors and probably one of them could be the carrier of the illness.
BJMP-Handumanan has a total of more than 800 inmates, both male and female.
Since it’s a contained area, the transmission of the virus will spread immediately, Tan said.
Measles is a highly contagious virus that lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person. It can spread to others through coughing and sneezing. Also, measles virus can live for up to two hours in an airspace where the infected person coughed or sneezed.
"We are all high-risk as being a carrier of these illnesses. The measles, mumps, and rubella diseases can be prevented through immunization," Tan said.
The CHO encouraged the public to always wash their hands; if soap and water are not available, clean their hands with hand sanitizer; and cover their mouth and nose with a tissue or sleeve, not hands, when coughing or sneezing to prevent illness.