THE Department of Health-Northern Mindanao (DOH-10) has recorded lower death rate of dengue cases across the region compared to that of the previous year.
As of June 14 this year, DOH-10's Regional Epidemiology, Surveillance and Disaster Response Unit (Resdru) documented a total of 2,291 cases of dengue in the region compared with last year's 2,393.
According to Ivan Credo Rubio, officer-in-charge at the DOH-Resdru, there are only seven deaths out of the 2,291 cases. The victims were aged one to nine years old.
This year's death rate dropped from last year's 18 deaths caused by dengue virus.
Misamis Oriental has reported the highest number of dengue cases among other provinces in the region with 333, followed by Bukidnon with 280, while Cagayan de Oro has most cases among other cities here with 751 followed by Iligan City. Camiguin province and El Salvador City both have the lowest number of victims at 63 and 11, respectively.
Last year, Bukidnon reported the highest number with 558 cases. Among the cities in the region in 2013, Cagayan de Oro had the highest cases with 468.
"Cases of dengue can reach our threshold every rainy season that falls within June until September. This has been the trend," Rubio told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.
Rubio stressed that dengue fever hit children the most.
"Kids are very active. They sweat a lot. The more active is a person, the more he sweats, the more he hides in shady places, the more he is prone to dengue carriers," Rubio said.
However, Rubio emphasized that the number of cases reported to their office may differ due to the hospitals and health centers' late submission of reports.
Anita Baguio, officer-in-charge of the DOH-10-Health Promotion Unit, reminded that there are four types of dengue carriers.
"Once you get infected by a certain type of dengue, there's still a possibility that the three other types of carriers can bite you and may lead you again to fever," she told this paper.
Baguio said to continue the diminishing number of dengue cases, Filipinos must follow DOH's 4S method—search and destroy breeding places, seek early consultation, observe self-protection, and say no to indiscriminate fogging.