'Dengue outbreak' kills 4 in Bayugan, Agusan Sur

At least four persons had died while 12 others, mostly minors, were hospitalized in Bayugan town, Agusan del Sur, in what health authorities fear to be a dengue outbreak. Sun-Star Cagayan de Oro (sunstar.com.ph) reported Monday that at least 13 other persons are undergoing treatment, and that two more cases of typhoid fever have been recorded in the Buenavista and Poblacion villages of Bayugan. The report said at least 12 cases of gastroenteritis with mild dehydration and pneumonia have also been documented in the areas visited by continuous rain in the last four weeks. Most of the victims are children, now under the care of their parents at home with round the clock monitoring of the Municipal Health Officials, the official health bulletin said. Bayugan is a first-class town in Agusan del Sur province with a population of 93,623 people in 17,222 households. Town mayor Magdalena Asis and municipal nurse Helen Saligan said most of the victims are aged one to four. They will submit on Monday an official list and breakdown in age grouping. Health authorities said they already conducted fumigation to areas affected, referral systems to hospitals and health centers, and information and dissemination campaigns. Yet, Asis said three weeks of continuous rains have afflicted schoolchildren at a local school in Barangay Poblacion with dengue fever. At least two had died from dengue with 13 cases last month while two others mostly one year old were killed this January. Saligan voiced fears the number may rise if no immediate remedies are installed. On the other hand, at least 12 cases of gastroenteritis with mild dehydration, pneumonia and thirteen other alarming diarrhea cases were reported from Buenavista village due to flooding. The flooding may have contaminated water wells, the two officials said in their official report. At least two cases of typhoid have also been reported in Poblacion village. Government officials have already asked support from the provincial government to contain the diseases affecting mostly poor people in the area. A “bandillo system" is in place among houses and puroks to inform residents about the possible spread of the diseases in affected areas by barangay and municipal officials. - GMANews.TV