Close to 1,000 dengue deaths recorded

MANILA, Philippines — Close to a thousand deaths caused by dengue were recorded as cases of the mosquito-borne infection continued to increase nationwide, the Department of Health (DOH) reported.

Data from the DOH showed that a total of 179,540 dengue cases were admitted in various government hospitals from Jan. 1 to Nov. 17.

Of that number, 907 have died. The number of fatalities this year was 197 more than the deaths posted during the same period in 2017.

According to the DOH, the number of dengue cases in government hospitals was 33 percent higher than the 135,166 admissions in the same period last year.

A majority of the cases or 94,656 were males while females accounted for 84,884 cases.

Those belonging to age group 10 to 14 years accounted for most or 21 percent of the cases with a total of 38,560 cases.

Central Luzon posted the biggest number of dengue cases with 27,493 followed by the National Capital Region with 23,962 and Calabarzon with 21,707.

Other regions with high dengue cases include Central Visayas with a total of 14,246 cases; Western Visayas with 13,822 cases; Ilocos region with 12,616 and Northern Mindanao with 11,892.

Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao recorded the highest increase in cases with 389 percent, followed by Mimaropa with 165 percent and cases of the illness rose in Caraga by 118 percent.

Soccsksargen was the only region in the country that reported a decline of 26 percent in dengue cases.