Northern Mindanao posts highest rate case in dengue in 2012

AMONG all the diseases, dengue topped the list with the highest cases in 2012 in Northern Mindanao, according to the annual disease surveillance report of the Department of Health (DOH).

Dengue posted the highest number of cases with 6,478 from January 1 to December 31, 2012, followed by influenza with 3,364 cases, typhoid fever with 3,278 cases and leptospirosis with 946.

The report shows that dengue cases for this period were 221.66 percent higher as compared to 2011.

The DOH’s Regional Epidemiology, Surveillance and Disaster Response Unit (RESDRU) said 69.9 of the recorded cases were from the province of Misamis Oriental including the cities of Cagayan de Oro, El Salvador and Gingoog.

In the report, the DOH said the data was based on the cases monitored at the different sentinel sites in Northern Mindanao.

Around 600 dengue cases have already been recorded by RESDRU as of February 1, which is 248 percent higher than the 172 cases recorded last year.

Meanwhile, influenza cases decreased by 25 percent with only 3,364 in 2012 compared to 2011, with 4,506 cases.

The DOH said 57 percent of the influenza cases were from Misamis Occidental with Tangub City having the highest number of cases with 26 percent. (PR)