5 die of dengue in Region 12

OTABATO CITY  – Dengue, a highly preventable disease in the country, has claimed the lives of five persons since January 1, the health regional office here said.   
Three of the fatalities due to the mosquito-borne disease were from North Cotabato and one a piece from Sarangani and South Cotabato, Jenny Ventura Panizales, speaking for DOH-Soccsksargen region, said Saturday.   

As of February, the DOH-12 Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) listed 2,332 dengue cases across the region.   

The dengue monitoring office said this year’s number of dengue patients was 191 percent higher compared to the same period last year.   

Panizales said the youngest dengue patient listed was at 3 months old while the oldest was 96 years old. She added that most of the patients, 1,211 (52 percent), were males and there were 1,121 females.   

North Cotabato has the highest number of dengue patients at 800 or 34 percent of the total number of patients followed by South Cotabato with 707 (30 percent) and Sarangani with 257 patients (11 percent).   
Sultan Kudarat had 263 patients, Gen. Santos City (218) and Cotabato City (111).  Cotabato City has the highest percentage of change with only 27 dengue patients in 2018 and 111 this year during the same period or 311 percent.   

Panizales said “hot spots” were noted in Barangay Poblacion, Carmen, North Cotabato; Barangay Maybay of Maitum, Sarangani; Barangay Zone III of Cotabato City; Barangay Poblacion of Polomolok and Barangay Poblacion of Tupi, both in South Cotabato and Barangay Calumpang in Gen. Santos City.   

Panizales said no declaration of an outbreak but health workers are on emergency status.