Compared to last year: Dengue cases in region dropped by 28 percent

CEBU, Philippines - Dengue cases in Central Visayas dropped by 28 percent this year compared to the number of cases within the same period last year, the latest data from the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) of the Department of Health-7 showed.

RESU, which is in-charge of the monitoring of infectious diseases, attributes the decrease in the number of dengue cases to people’s awareness and cooperation with the government’s initiatives on the fight against the disease.

In its dengue bulletin from January 1 to February 11 this year, RESU said that dengue cases in the region have decreased to 1,765 this year from last year’s 2,462 cases. Dengue fatalities in 2017 posted 17 deaths, one case higher than last year’s 16 deaths.

A comparative data of the agency revealed that Cebu City has the most number of dengue cases among other cities and municipalities in Central Visayas during the given period with 21.1 percent or 368 cases, with four deaths.

Mandaue City followed suit with nine percent (158 cases and one death); Lapu-Lapu City with 7.9 percent (138 cases and two deaths); Dumaguete City with 4.7 percent (83 cases) and Consolacion with 4.4 percent (73 cases and four deaths).

The ages of victims ranged from two days old to 79 years old.

But RESU said most of the patients are under the six to 10-year-old age group, which constitutes 27.8 percent of the total number of cases.

Dengue fever cases and deaths were recorded on the different Disease Reporting Units (DRUs) of the health agency.

The Cebu Provincial Health Office (CPHO) also noted a continuing decline in dengue cases in the province based on RESU-7 DRU admissions.

The cases from the component cities and municipalities of the province totaled 468 cases, including four deaths from Consolacion.

The local government units with dengue-related cases were Toledo City (65 cases), Talisay City (45 cases), Carcar City (44 cases), Moalboal (34 cases), Liloan (31 cases), San Fernando (31 cases), Badian (27 cases), Minglanilla (27 cases) Danao City (23 cases), Argao (23 cases), Dalaguete (22 cases) and Sibonga (19 cases).

Despite the number of dengue cases and deaths, the CPHO also noticed a downtrend in admissions in the last quarter of the year 2016.

The cases gradually dropped by around a hundred cases in November 2016 and further decreased to nearly 300 cases last December based on hospital admission.

Last year's dengue cases posted a dramatic increase with 9,137 cases compared to the previous year's 2,486 – or an increase of 6,651.

In the CPHO data, there were 9,063 cases and 74 deaths from January 1 to December 31, 2016, as compared to 2,461 cases and 25 deaths in 2015.

The month of October had the highest number of dengue cases with over 600 patients admitted.

The CPHO declared a dengue outbreak during the month of October due to the surge in dengue cases.

The declaration resulted to the implementation of anti-dengue programs and activities, such as fogging, information dissemination about dengue in the municipalities and cities within the Cebu province.

The province launched a simultaneous cleanup drive last November 11 following the abnormal spike in dengue cases.

Dr. Niño Ismael Pastor, CPHO head on public health, reiterated that on the first signs of fever, victims are advised to seek early medical attention to prevent further complications.

If a person shows any symptom or abnormality in his health like fever, he should be immediately checked.

Pastor said that fever is a symptom that something is wrong with one's body, saying it is the body's reaction to the strange thing that is disrupting its system.

This is why patients are advised to consult a doctor immediately if he or she has fever to determine if he has dengue infection or other illnesses.

Pastor said the public must refrain from the habit of preferring self-medication over seeking medical help from professionals. (FREEMAN)