BAGUIO CITY – The city health services office warned the public about a spike in measles cases after the death of a seven-month-old infant here recently.

Health authorities said they have intensified the vaccination of children to protect them from the predicted outbreak of measles due to the prolonged dry spell or the El Niño phenomenon.

Officials said the parents of the infant reported that the baby was initially diagnosed only as suffering from plain fever.

After a few days, rashes appeared on the infant’s body, prompting the parents to again seek medical attention. By that time, however, the baby’s immune system had considerably weakened, leading to the infant's death.

The local health department reported that the victim’s relatives were also found infected with measles and were given vaccines.

The city health office directed its district units to conduct massive information and education campaigns in their respective areas so that residents will be guided on what to do when their children or family members fall ill with measles.