Meningococcemia kills 4 children in E. Visayas

PALO LEYTE — A regional health official yesterday confirmed that four children in Eastern Visayas had died of meningococcemia, the latest of whom was a 7-year-old boy in Oras town of Eastern Samar last July 13.

The three other fatalities were children, two girls and a boy with ages ranging from 11 months old to 11 years old, in the towns of Carigara, McArthur, and Abuyog in Leyte. One of them died in March, two in April and one in June.

Boyd Cerro, chief of the Department of Health Region 8’s Epedimiology and Surveillance Unit, said the latest victim from Oras was first rushed to the hospital but died the following day.

Cerro said that health authorities in Eastern Samar are currently giving preventive medication on and monitoring of the boy’s immediate contacts to prevent the spread of the illness.

"Of course the DOH-8 is closely monitoring those close contacts of the 7-year-old, considering that this is a highly contagious disease. We have to treat them ahead from possible seven-day manifestation of that disease," he said.

qhere were three other children who survived however: One each in the cities of Calbayog in Samar and Tacloban in Leyte, and another in McArthur town in Leyte.

Cerro said those who came in contact with the surviving victims were also given precautionary medication. So far no symptoms have surfaced after the incubation period on the contacts of the victims who survived.

The DOH-8 however assured the public that these cases of meningococcemia this year are not causes to panic. People are advised to increase their resistance through exercise, diet, and proper rest, while avoiding crowded places, maintain cleanliness around them, and avoid sharing utensils used by an infected person, Cerro said.

Meanwhile, the DOH-8 yesterday reported a total of eight deaths of dengue fever, out of 2,089 cases, as of july 15 this year.

Cerro the fatalities were two each in Ormoc and Tacloban Cities, and one each in the towns of Dagami and Hilongos in Leyte, and in Bontoc town of Southern Leyte.

"At this point we are also closely monitoring possible rise of dengue in Ormoc at the evacuation center, to prevent an outbreak, because situation like this is very vulnerable," he added.