Two more children succumb to dengue

CEBU, Philippines – Two more children died of dengue last week bringing to eight the number of casualties in Cebu City since January this year, health officials announced yesterday.

Durinda Macasocol, assistant head of the City Epidemiology Statistics and Surveillance Unit, said the latest casualties are both females, a nine-year old resident of Barangay Busay and a three-year old child from Punta Princesa.

Macasocol said both victims were brought to the Cebu Doctors Hospital last July 5 after they experienced severe fever, but they died after four days.

The dengue cases in Cebu City already reached 756 as of last Monday or more than 50 cases compared to only 606 within the same period in last year. There were also more casualties in 2009 with 13 cases recorded.

Twenty barangay officials underwent a seminar yesterday to know techniques on preventing the spread of dengue in their respective areas. Another 20 will undergo the seminar at the City Health auditorium tomorrow.

"Angay na g'yud ta nga mangandam karon kay nagsugod na ang ting-uwan," Macasocol said.

Because Cebu City has biggest population among the cities in Central Visayas, it remains on top of the list among places that health officials continue to monitor.

Dr. Raymund Ogan, dengue coordinator in Cebu City, said the city's health personnel continue to conduct spraying chemicals in all public schools hoping they can kill adult mosquitoes. (THE FREEMAN)