Dengue on downward trend in Cordillera

By Lito Dar

BAGUIO CITY – Dengue cases in the Cordillera are gradually decreasing, but the Health Department is still monitoring areas in the region which are still in the “epidemic threshold.”

Cordillera DOH regional director Dr. Myrna Cabotaje bared this saying dengue cases in Cordillera now stand at 5,869 with 14 deaths as of last month.

This represents a 247 percent increase compared to the 1,689 cases recorded during the same period last year.

Per provincial statistics, Abra recorded 357 cases; 159 in Apayao, 1,236 in Baguio City, 1,048 in Benguet; 1, 048 also in Ifugao, 989 in Kalinga and 839 in Mountain Province.

There were 193 cases outside Cordillera but treated in various hospitals in the region.

Regional DOH dengue coordinator Dr. Alexei Marrero said dengue cases in Cordillera was down from a peak of 600 cases a week (recorded in August) to about 150 cases a week last month.

“Dengue cases, from all Cordillera provinces dropped by about 55 percent since August,’ Marrero said. “Majority of the reported cases belong to younger age brackets with 39 percent of the recorded dengue cases coming from 11-20 years age group while 27 percent were1-10 years old.”

Marrero said although there was no dengue outbreak reported, clustering of cases were still being done in some areas especially in the municipalities of Lamut, Kiangan, Mayoyao, Lagaw and Banaue in Ifugao, Tabuk in Kalinga and Sadanga in Mountain Province.

For Benguet clustering of cases were monitored in some areas in Itogon, La Trinidad and Mankayan.

In Baguio City, clustering of cases were also noted in barangays Irisan, Asin, Bakakeng Central and North, Fairview, Kias, Loacan Proper, Upper QM , San Luis, San Vicente and St. Joseph Village.