14 dengue victims die in Central Luzon as cases in

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — The Department of Health’s Central Luzon office has again called on the public to support its campaign against dengue fever as it reported 14 deaths among 3,053 patients of the mosquito-borne ailment in the region this year.

From Aug. 1 to 18 alone, there were 316 dengue cases in the region — 201 percent higher than the total number of cases for the whole month of August last year, according to the DOH’s regional epidemiology and surveillance center.

With stagnant floodwaters affecting 200,000 residents in 22 towns in Pampanga alone, health officials fear that dengue cases will further increase. Mosquitoes carrying the dengue virus breed in clear, stagnant waters.

The latest dengue-caused deaths were reported in San Antonio, Nueva Ecija and Concepcion, Tarlac last week.

Of the 3,053 dengue cases in Central Luzon, 1,241 were reported in Nueva Ecija, 693 in Bulacan, 344 in Tarlac, 291 in Zambales, 277 in Pampanga, and 207 in Bataan.

DOH records show this year’s dengue cases have exceeded last year’s figures, starting last May alone. On a month-on-month basis, there were 1,303 cases in June and 100 in May, a huge jump from the 286 and 46 during the respective months last year.

The DOH, however, noted that "despite the overall increase in cases throughout the region and the inclusion of private hospitals and clinics (in dengue monitoring), dengue admissions decreased during the 33rd morbidity week (second week of August) in some provinces such as Bulacan and Zambales."

However, it said that Nueva Ecija "continues to report dengue admissions every morbidity week since the 31st morbidity week."

The DOH identified the latest dengue fatalities as Julie Dimla, 17, of San Francisco, Concepcion in Tarlac, and Nicole Matudan, 6, of San Antonio, Nueva Ecija.

In Pampanga, majority of dengue cases were reported in Mabalacat which hosts the biggest resettlement centers for lahar victims in Madapdap, Mawake and Camachile.

Other cases were also reported in other resettlement sites in Mexico and Magalang towns and this city.

Earlier, DOH officials warned that dengue cases in Central Luzon could reach epidemic proportions similar to what occurred in 1998.