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Friday, September 02, 2005
Cebu’s dengue fever incidence highest in CV
By Jujemay G. Awit
Sun.Star Correspondent
Cebu has recorded a total of 1,637 cases of dengue fever, including 53 deaths, in the latest survey of the Department of Health (DOH) 7 as of Aug. 27.
This is the highest figure in Central Visayas, which has a total of 2,239 cases, or 65 percent higher than the same period last year.
Bohol Province recorded close to 200 cases, with nine deaths, while Negros Oriental had close to 400, with four deaths.
Cebu City maintains the lead in the number of cases in the region, with 614 cases and 25 deaths, according to the survey of all admissions in various sentinel hospitals.
This makes up 27.8 percent of the regional figure.
The DOH figure is even less than what the Cebu City Health Department recorded, at 868 cases. However, the city office recorded only 23 deaths, or two less than what the DOH has.
While this may be the case, Dr. Jonathan Neil Erasmo, DOH 7 dengue program coordinator, said this has not yet reached the “alarming threshold” when seen against the 2001-2004 trend.
Although the numbers are high in Barangays Guadalupe and Tisa in Cebu City, there is no basis to consider these as dengue fever hotspots, said Erasmo.
Mandaue City also a high incidence rate with 107, one of which resulted to death.
The cities of Talisay (93 cases, 2 deaths) and Danao (84 cases, no death) follow.
Rounding up the cities are Toledo and Lapu-Lapu, with the least number of cases: 74 cases and one death in Toledo, and 67 cases, with no death, in Lapu-Lapu.
Among the towns, Minglanilla leads with 73 cases and one death.
Argao recorded 53 cases and one fatality, ranking second in the most number of cases in Cebu Province.
Consolacion came third with 41 cases, two deaths.
All the towns and cities in Central Visayas have reported dengue fever cases, so far this year. Not one has a zero incidence rate.
Nationwide, Central Visayas reported the fourth highest number of dengue fever cases.
The DOH figure also showed that the median age among dengue fever victims is nine years old.
With the upsurge of dengue cases, Health Secretary Francisco Duque has ordered dengue express lanes.
The express lane allows children diagnosed with dengue fever immediate access to health care, without passing through various official admission steps in hospitals.
Duque was in Cebu yesterday for an official visit to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) to check the government hospital’s dengue express lane.
He also visited the new Woman and Child-Friendly Center of the VSMMC.
DOH maintains that the best way to prevent dengue fever is cleanliness and that local governments are encouraged to initiate clean-up drives. It’s important to eliminate pools of water where the dengue-carrying mosquitoes breed.
According to Erasmo, these measures have been implemented in Mandaue City and in Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City.
(September 2, 2005 issue)
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