Dengue outbreak declared in Sta Rita, Pampanga - PNA report

Published September 18, 2014 6:33am

A dengue outbreak has been declared in Sta. Rita town in Pampanga province due to a recent increase in the number of cases there, state-run Philippines News Agency reported Wednesday.

The PNA cited figures from the Department of Health Central Luzon indicating there were 84 cases in the town - two of them fatal - from January to September this year.

It said the two fatalities were identified as Mackenzie Rose David, 7, and Thea May Quiambao, 21 Both were from Barangay San Jose, Sta. Rita.

Dr. Jesse Fantone, head of the DOH’s Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) said this was 91 percent higher compared to seven in the same period last year.

Fantone appealed to residents to keep their surroundings clean and dry, and to destroy possible breeding sites of dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

On the other hand, Fantone said dengue cases in Central Luzon were lower so far this year, compared to the same period in 2013.

The PNA cited RESU records showing there were 5,524 dengue cases in the region from January to September 2014, 47.6 percent lower than the 10,541 in the same period in 2013.

Mortality rates in the region also fell from 23 in 2013 to 11 this year. — Joel Locsin/ELR, GMA News

Tags: dengue, pampanga