Dengue afflicts 575 in Cordi with one death

By Carlito Dar and Julie G. Fianza

BAGUIO CITY – Cordillera Health officials urged the public to take precautions as they disclosed the dreaded dengue disease has afflicted 575 persons in the region and with one death.

Dr. Alexei Marrero of the Dept. of Health bared this saying the cases covered Jan. to June 13.

Benguet recorded the most cases with 135, followed by Abra with 125, Apayao – 83, Baguio City – 82, Kalinga – 61, Ifugao – 24 and Mountain Province with 11.

There were 54 non-Cordillera patients who were treated in the region.

The victims were lower by 17 percent compared to the 691 cases recorded during the same period last year.

With the onset of the rainy season, the DOH headed by OIC regional director Dr. Amelita M. Pangilinan urged the public to clean possible mosquito breeding sites against dengue.

Baguio epidemiology surveillance unit chief Dr. Donnabel Tubera said dengue had become a year- round illness.

She added cases are expected to peak during the rainy months especially every July and August.

Tubera said prevention is still the best way to combat any illness including dengue, a vector virus transmitted by Aedes Aegypti mosquito to humans.

“Getting rid of possible mosquito breeding sites is the primary preventive thing to do,” Tubera added.

In Baguio City, residents are urged to stick to the 4 o’clock clean-up habit with start of rainy season to halt spread of dengue-carrying mosquitoes in water- breeding places.

Data from the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) of the Health Services Office (HSO) present a 33% increase, from 100 cases in January - June 2014 to 133 cases in January – June this year.

In January this year in the summer resort, there were 21 dengue cases, 15 in February, 7 in March, 8 in April, 17 in May and 60 cases in June.

There were 305 recorded dengue cases in Baguio for 2009, 1161 in 2010, 485 in 2011, 715 in 2012, a record high of 1866 in 2013, and 377 in 2014.

Health officials said cases often increase in June and July, peaks in August and tapers off in September and October towards the cold and dry months.     

Generally, there were more males bitten than females, and those aged 10 to 29 years are bitten more than those older.

Those from age one to nine years old and 30 to 39 are also more susceptible to bites of the dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

Records from Baguio government and private hospitals show that there were 516 dengue cases in Baguio in 2009 and increased by 1,882 in 2010.

There were 959 cases in 2011, another 1,440 in 2012, a high of 3,196 in 2013 and 649 in 2014.

Patients came from Rizal, Pampanga, Davao del Sur, Cavite, Bulacan, Bataan, Zambales, Laguna, Cagayan, Apayao, Aurora, Ilocos Norte, Quirino, National Capital Region, Isabela, Tarlac, Ilocos Sur, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, La Union, Pangasinan and Cordillera provinces.

Dengue is spread mostly through bites form either the female Aegis aegypti, A. albopictus and other mosquito species. 

Though rarely, it may also be spread through blood products and organ donations.

Symptoms after an incubation period may last for seven days, fever, headache behind the eyes, muscle and joint pains and skin rash.

There may be nausea, vomiting, and bleeding from body openings. Dengue may also cause organ dysfunction, and if untreated, death. Residents who have the symptoms are advised to report to health authorities at the Baguio Health Department, t. Alonzo st, Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center, DOH or any of the nearest hospital.