4 dead as dengue cases increase in Baguio City

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – Dengue fever cases in the city have risen by 61 percent with 474 recorded cases, four of whom died, from Jan. 1 to Sept. 9 as against 294 cases listed during the same period last year.

City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) Head and Dengue Program Coordinator Dr. Donnabel Tubera said the first fatality was an 81-year old man from East Modernsite barangay who died a day after being admitted at the SLU Hospital of the Sacred Heart last May.

Second was a 62-year old male from Manuel A. Roxas who passed away May 1 four days after admission at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center.

The other two were a 54-year old female from Holyghost Proper who perished last Aug. 2 after a day of hospitalization at the BGH and a nine-year old male from Irisan barangay who died Sept. 1 after ten days of confinement also at the BGH.

The age of the patients range from 21 days old to 88 years old with median of 24 years.  Majority (54.9 percent) of cases are males.

Clustering of cases was also noted in 17 barangays namely ABCR, Pinsao Proper, Loakan Proper, Camp 7, Honeymoon-Holyghost, Asin Road, Bakakeng Central, St. Joseph Village, Irisan, San Luis Village, Liwanag-Loakan, Holyghost Ext., Middle Rock Quarry, Aurora Hill Proper, Dontogan,  Lopez Jaena and Sto. Tomas Proper.

Tubera said the number of cases have started to decline based on previous data but remained menacing because of the deaths.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong and City Health Officer Dr. Rowena Galpo reminded the public to continually observe anti-dengue measures particularly those contained in city’s Ordinance No. 66 series of 2016 or the “Anti-Dengue Ordinance of the City of Baguio.”

They also urged the observance of the Dept. of Health’s anti-dengue campaign ”Mag 4S Kontra Dengue (4 S: Search and destroy breeding places; Self-protection measures; Seek early consultation; and Support spraying to prevent impending diseases).”