A new case of whooping cough has been reported in GA. Vilingili.

Health Protection Agency (HPA) announced last Tuesday that three children have tested positive for the virus in GA. Vilingili.

HPA said that another case of whooping cough was detected in Villingili yesterday and that it has not yet been reported if the case is related to previous cases.

A task force has been set up at GA. Atoll Hospital to reduce the spread of the virus in the atoll, and efforts are underway to provide medicines to symptomatic individuals through contacts, identify children under the age of seven who are not fully vaccinated and vaccinate them.

"Pertussis is transmitted through the respiratory tract. The first symptoms of pertussis occur in common colds. In addition, a few weeks later, there is a lot of coughing and this cough prolongs for a long time. Infants may also experience some other symptoms. If a fully vaccinated child or adult is diagnosed with the disease, there may not be any major symptoms of the disease," HPA said in a statement last week.

The statement added that infants are at high risk from contracting the disease and therefore, children below seven years of age who have not completed their doses are advised to get vaccinated as soon as possible and must be vaccinated at a health care facility in the island.