Dengue cases decreased by 52 percent this August than last year

The Department of Health (DOH) reported 70,204 dengue cases for the week ending September 10, 2011—over 24,000 cases less or 25.87 percent lower than for the same period last year. In addition, the number of cases in July and August (the peak months for dengue) was 52 percent lower than last year. Fatalities also went down this year: 396 deaths were reported, which is lower than last year’s 620.Most of the dengue cases came from the National Capital Region (15,427), Central Luzon (13,347), and CALABARZON (10,215). At the National Capital Region, most cases were from Quezon City (4,611), Manila City (1,944), Kalookan City (1,941), Valenzuela (1,090), and Pasig (838).Ages of cases ranged from less than a month to 92 years old. Fifty-three percent of reported cases were men. Forty-one percent belonged to the 1-10 years age group.“The marked reduction in cases can be attributed to the concerted efforts of all stakeholders, especially local governments, who disseminated timely information to residents and spearheaded cleanup drives in their communities,” Assistant Health Secretary Enrique Tayag explained.However, Tayag warned the public not to be complacent, as dengue is an all-year round public health threat.The health official noted that dengue is a preventable disease. He urged the public to continue maintaining clean surroundings by ensuring that all possible mosquito (Aedes Aegypti) breeding sites are destroyed or discarded. Some common breeding sites are empty softdrink bottles, bamboo husks, old tires, and flower vases.To prevent complications and deaths, Tayag advised all suspect dengue cases to seek immediate medical consultation for proper case management. Some of the disease’s signs and symptoms are high continuous fever lasting for two to seven days, nausea/vomiting, abdominal pain, body weakness, bleeding from the nose and gums, and persistent red spots on the face, extremities, and trunks.