BREAKING NEWS

Whooping cough diagnosed in Afula hospital worker

AUGUST 6, 2012 14:07

A staff member at Emek Medical Center who worked in its dialysis, hematology and oncology institutes at the Afula hospital has been diagnosed with pertussis (whooping cough).

The hospital said on Monday that it reported the case to the Health Ministry and is carrying out measures to locate all patients and staffers who were in contact with him between July 17 and July 26 so they can receive prophylactic antibiotics.

Names have been transferred to the district health office in Afula to find them. The office can be reached at 04-6099019.

Pertussis was a well-known children’s disease, but since a vaccine was developed for children decades ago, the prevalence has greatly declined. Recently, however, there were a few outbreaks in the north because parents decided not to vaccinate their children babies for ideological reasons.

Initial symptoms include tearing and runny noise, which turn into a persistent cough.

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