Thursday, July 17, 2003
Measles cases in Negros Occidental ‘reach alarming level’
By Avelyn Z. Agudon
MEASLE cases in Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City, increased by 650 percent and killed 11 minors in the first six months of the year, records at the Provincial Health Office showed.
During the same period five, persons died of typhoid fever while two others died of dengue fever.
Records further showed that most of the minors who died of measles were between 10 months old to six years old.
Those who died were from Bacolod City, three; Isabela, three; Himamaylan City, two; and the cities of Cadiz and Bago, one each.
Provincial Health Officer Luisa Efren said that based on the report of the World Health Organization (WHO), an outbreak of measles is expected every three years, which is supposedly due next year.
Efren added that they are scheduled to conduct a massive measles immunization campaign on February next year yet.
But Gov. Joseph Marañon said he will not wait until next year for the implementation of the immunization program if there is a need to implement it within this year.
Records revealed that 607 measles cases were recorded for the first six months of the year compared to that of last year with only 81 cases.
Most of the cases were monitored in Bacolod City, 179; followed by San Carlos City, 65; Don Salvador Benedicto, 45; Sagay City, Escalante City, and Talisay City, 30 each; Victorias City, 20; and Isabela, 18.
Based on records there was already an outbreak of measles in January with 203 cases. It is 3,283 percent higher compared to that of the same month last year with only six cases.
There was none in 2001.
In February, 123 measles cases were reported; March, 103; April, 82; May, 68; and June, 28.
On the other hand, cases of typhoid fever increased by 30 percent with 918 cases this year as compared to that of last year with only 697 cases.
Those who died of typhoid fever were from Bacolod City, two; and Hinigaran, Bago City, and Kabankalan City, one each.
The oldest person who died of typhoid fever is a 59-year-old resident of Bago City while the youngest is a 13-year-old from Bacolod City.
Records showed that most of the typhoid fever cases happened in Kabankalan City, 103; Himamaylan City, 97; Bago City, 55; Victorias City, 44; and Sagay City, 38.
Dengue cases, on the other hand, decreased from 934 cases last year to only 333 cases this year.
Two minors aged 10 and 11 from Sagay City and Pulupandan died of dengue fever.
Areas that have the most number cases are Silay City, 24; Talisay City, 21; San Carlos City, 18; Sagay City, 15; and Pulupandan, 14.
(July 17, 2003 issue)
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