5 persons admitted for dengue in Oro everyday

NOT less than five patients are admitted everyday in hospitals in Cagayan de Oro due to dengue.

Councilor Dante B. Pajo, chair of the City Council committee on health and sanitation, said this is alarming after three deaths were reported in July.

Pajo said the increase of dengue cases in 2012 almost doubled compared to the same period in 2011.

He claimed that dengue is becoming more fatal and should not be disregarded.

“I only a matter of three to five days, the patient might die, as compared to other sickness like human immunodeficiency virus/acquired human immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS),” Pajo said.

He said the fatality in the city will most likely be more than the reported cases since other causes of deaths were complications resulting from dengue.

Data from the surveillance team of the City Health Office led by Dr. Joey Retuya revealed that 1,341 cases were recorded from January to August 2 this year compared to only 816 in 2011.

Retuya said the data were taken from patient’s admission in hospitals.

Jane Gacus, statistician II of the City Health Office, said only 20 patients died of dengue in 2011.

Barangays Kauswagan, Carmen, Patag, Bulua and Consolacion in Cagayan de Oro were declared hotspots due to the high number of patients with dengue illness.

Dr. David Mendoza, chief of the Regional Epidemiology, Surveillance and Disaster Response Unit (RESDRU), said in a report that 2,456 cases in Northern Mindanao were recorded between January to August 3, 2012.

He said the figure is higher by 116.77 percent compared to the same period last year with only 1,133 cases.

However, Mendoza said fatality rate is low with .24 percent of the entire regional total.

Among the five provinces, Misamis Oriental posted highest admissions with 74.80 percent of the regional total followed by Bukidnon with 12.20 percent; Lanao del Norte with 9.10 percent; Misamis Occidental at 3.60 percent and Camiguin with only 0.40 percent. (Abigail Chee Kee Malalis)