Dengue death toll nears 300 – DOH

MANILA, Philippines - Dengue has claimed the lives of 269 people so far this year, Health Secretary Janette Garin said yesterday.

“That is the number of fatalities from the reported 92,807 cases. But that number is lower than the deaths we had last year, and in 2012 and 2013, when the incidence of dengue peaked,” Garin told reporters.

She said dengue incidence in Tarlac, Cavite and Apayao has reached an alarming level. “But it is now under control and is going down,” she said.

Most of the cases were recorded in Central Luzon (14,127), Calabarzon (14,082), Metro Manila (10,385), Ilocos Region (8,136), Northern Mindanao (6,451), Cagayan Valley (5,677) and Soccsksargen (5,552).

Garin said each province has its share of dengue patients. She denied that dengue-carrying mosquitoes have become deadlier and tougher to control.

“It’s still the same strain and the key to avoiding and controlling it is cleanliness. Let’s keep our homes, schools and our surroundings clean,” she said.

She said school children are especially vulnerable to dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

“These mosquitoes attack two hours after sunrise and two hours before sunset. That means that children are in school,” she said.

Garin said she is not aware of the area distribution of the dengue-caused deaths this year, nor how many were children and adults.

She warned the public the extended El Niño could result in more dengue cases.

“That is because our people tend to collect and hoard water. Let’s make sure that water is properly stored in containers that do not become breeding grounds of mosquitoes,” she said.

Screens

Garin said the Department of Health (DOH) would install screens on the windows of public schools in areas where there is high incidence of dengue.

She said they are co-        ordinating with the Department of Education for the project.

Garin said they are targeting 20,000 classrooms in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, the Calabarzon and the Cordillera Autonomous Region.

Price freeze

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has issued a price freeze on basic commodities in Bulacan after the province was placed under a state of calamity due to rising dengue cases.

In an advisory, the DTI said it is coordinating with the provincial health office and the provincial disaster risk reduction and management to implement the price freeze to protect consumers from unscrupulous traders.

The price freeze is effective until Nov. 26, the DTI said.

Health authorities said the number of dengue cases in Bulacan has risen to 5,129.  – With Sheila Crisostomo, Ramon Efren Lazaro