DOH: Region 9 Registers High Cases of Dengue

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Jan. 16 (PNA) — The Department of Health (DOH) Region 9 has recorded 7,298 dengue cases in 2016, which was 3.09 percent or 219 cases higher compared to the 7,079 cases it has in 2015 across the region.

Maxell Bermas, DOH Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) chief, said that last year’s mortalities have reached 39, which was higher by 56 percent or 14 from 25 deaths in 2015.

Bermas said the main contributory factor to the increase of dengue cases was the improper storage of water during the El Niño phenomenon in 2016.

He said that clean water improperly stored in containers served as breeding grounds of dengue carrier mosquitoes.

He said the cases of dengue was monitored through the assistance of government and private-owned hospitals in the region.

Dengue fever is a viral disease usually affecting infant and young children.

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which lay eggs on clear and stagnant water, are the carriers of dengue.

The signs and symptoms of dengue fever includes: sudden high fever; joints and muscle pains; skin rashes; nose bleeding; vomiting of coffee colored mattered; and, dark colored stool.

Bermas urged the residents to always maintain cleanliness in their respective communities to minimize, if not eradicate cases of dengue.

He said cleanliness is one of the ways to eliminate dengue cases. (PNA)
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(Source: PNA.gov.ph)