Cordi posts 6 percent hike in dengue cases

By Dexter A. See 

BAGUIO CITY  – The Cordillera office of the Department of Health (DOH-CAR) reported a six percent increase in the number of dengue fever cases regionwide with 10,003 cases for the first ten months of the year compared to the 9,438 reported cases during the similar period last year.

            Dra. Lakshmi Legaspi, DOH-CAR regional director, revealed there was a significant increase in deaths due to dengue for the first ten months of this year with 20 compared to the 12 deaths recorded regionwide during the similar reckoning period last year.

            Benguet continues to lead in reported increase in dengue cases with 132 percent tallying 4,086 cases from January to October this year compared to the 1,760 cases last year followed by Baguio City that reported a 110-percent increase with 2,804 recorded cases this year compared to the 1,335 cases last year. Ifugao recorded the least increase with 34 percent after 973 cases were reported this year compared to the 725 cases last year.

            Kalinga reported the highest decline in dengue cases with a 72 percent drop with only 650 cases this year compared to the 2,333 cases last year followed by Abra that had a 63 percent decrease with 360 cases this year compared to the 969 cases last year.

            Non-CAR areas recorded a 57 percent decrease with 307 dengue cases this year compared to the 713 cases this year, Apayao was close behind with a 54 percent decline after recording 414 cases this year compared to the 895 cases last year while Mountain Province reported the least decrease in dengue cases with 42 percent when it tallied 409 cases this year compared to the 708 cases last year.

            Legaspi disclosed the age range of the dengue-affected patients was 9 days to 96 years with a median of 21 years while 53.7 percent of those affected were males with the remaining 46.3 percent females.

            The DOH-CAR added clustering of dengue cases were noted in some barangays in Baguio, Benguet and Mountain Province, thus, continuous cooperation and coordination of all sectors has been encouraged to help in intensifying the 4S campaign against dengue, chikungunya, zika and Japanese encephalitis and conduct at least a weekly cleanup drive, especially in areas which have observed clustering for almost two weeks.

            According to her, dengue cases in the region to decreased below the epidemic threshold but there is still a need for the people to be vigilant against this illness in their places.

            Health experts asserted dengue fever is caused by any of the four serotypes of dengue virus which are classified as type I, 2, 3 and 4 and that it is transmitted by an infected day-biting female Aedes mosquito that transmits the vital disease to humans.

            She reminded the public to observe cleanliness inside and outside their houses, especially getting rid of clear and stagnant water, which are breeding grounds for the day-biting mosquitoes that transmit the virus to the humans.