Dengue deaths climb to 44 in Cavite
TRECE MARTIRES CITY, Cavite – The number of dengue fatalities and incidents continued to increase in this coastal province with an additional two deaths and 489 more cases that were recorded in the second week of November.
The latest update report released yesterday by the Provincial Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (PESU) Office showed that the province now has 44 reported dengue deaths and 9,853 cases for the year.
The latest figures were contained in PESU’s Morbidity Week 45 report which covered the period from November 8 to 14.
The previous PESU report, Week 44 or the period from Nov. 1 to 7, showed that there were 42 deaths and 9,364 cases.
The PESU said that the latest figure (9,853 cases) was higher by 428% compared to the incidents that were recorded from January 1 to Nov. 14 in 2014 which numbered 1,867.
The 44 deaths and 9,853 cases were the highest dengue numbers ever recorded in Cavite, if not the country based on per province reports.
Dr. Nelson C. Soriano, PESU chief, reported that Dasmariñas City, the province’s most populous area, has the most number of dengue deaths with 21, followed by General Trias with four, then General Mariano Alvarez (GMA), Silang and Tanza with three each. Trece Martires City, Indang and Naic, had two deaths each and Bacoor City, Kawit, Rosario and Magallanes, one each.
Those afflicted by dengue were residents with ages ranging from one month and 83 years old.
The Cavite provincial government declared dengue outbreak in all seven districts last September 21 when there were only16 deaths and 3,652 cases reported by the Provincial Health Office.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan, through the initiative of Fourth District (Dasmarinas) Board Member (BM) Teofilo Banda Lara, earlier said it would call an inquiry on the reported dengue deaths and cases and the moves and actions of the PHO and other concerned agencies to avert the spread of the feared virus in the province.
The senior BM called on the PESU to submit a report about the dengue cases, actions and recommendations.
Governor Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla Jr. earlier initiated the clean-up drive, education and information dissemination and the province-wide intensification of the administration’s Aksyon Barangay Kontra Dengue (ABKD), Kalinga sa Kalikasan and Barangay Ko, Alerto Ko programs.
A PESU source said that even with the reported increasing number of dengue incidents, the cases in some cities and municipalities were observed to be on the downward trend.
“If the case number continued to decrease, some cities and municipalities may be removed from the dengue outbreak list. It all depends on the epidemic threshold,” the source said.