Number of dengue-related deaths drops

CEBU, Philippines - Thirteen dengue-related deaths were recorded in Cebu City last year, six cases lower than the 19 recorded casualties in 2010.

Durinda Macasocol, assistant head of the City Epidemiology Statistics and Surveillance Unit, said the number of dengue cases last year totaling 1,680 also went down by 45 percent from the 3,035 cases recorded the previous year.

“Forty-five percent lower ang atong dengue cases sa Cebu City last year,” Macasocol told The FREEMAN.

The casualties were from Barangay Kamputhaw, Talamban, Tisa, Labangon, Budlaan, Pasil, Punta Princesa, Sawang Calero, Apas, Cogon-Pardo, Mambaling and Hipodromo.

Records showed that all of the casualties were children from six months to 13 years old. Most of those afflicted with the dengue virus were male, but Macasocol’s report to City Hall did not explain this phenomenon. 

The barangays with the most number of dengue cases were Guadalupe, 121; Labangon, 104; Basak-San Nicolas, 92; Tisa, 77; Lahug, 74; Sambag II; 71, Punta Princesa, 68; Mambaling, 66; Kalunasan, 64; and Mabolo, 57.

These barangays are among the biggest in the city.

City Health officer Stella Ygoña said the P500,000-worth of chemicals donated by various civic groups and used to fight the virus also helped trim down the number of dengue cases.

Dr. Wyben Briones, Rotary Director for Health Concern and past president of the Cebu Medical Society, said the various rotary clubs in the city are helping health officials fight dengue through their mosquito larvae eradication campaign.

Ygoña said dengue-carrying mosquitoes can fly as far as 300 meters and the female are the ones that bite.

Last year, City Councilor Ritchie Osmeña became a victim of dengue and had to be confined in the hospital for more than a week.

Records also show a constant decrease in the number of dengue-related deaths in the city for the past four years. There were 53 casualties recorded in 2007 but this number went down to 51 in 2008, slid down to 41 in 2009 and further down to 19 deaths in 2010.

Macasocol said the early detection of dengue cases is the best way to minimize deaths. (FREEMAN)