Teenage helper’s death is 4th dengue fatality in Cebu City

NEIGHBORS of 18-year-old Fernando Porcerada, a resident of barangay Hipodromo, Cebu City were unaware that he was sick with dengue for the past few days.

“Dili man sila mag-gawas-gawas. Dili pud sil mostorya namong mga silingan (They don’t usually go out. They also don’t talk with us their neighbors),” said 43-year-old Gemma Geraldo of Porcerada and his family.

Porcerada, who hails from Leyte province, worked as a helper for a family of four in barangay Hipodromo.

It was only last Saturday evening when neighbors heard another helper scream that they saw a bleeding Porcerada and concluded that he was sick with dengue.

He was already bleeding, including his lips, Geraldo said.

The teenager was rushed to the Cebu City Medical Center that same evening and died last Monday.

When Cebu Daily News visited Porcerada’s house in San Antonio St. yesterday, no one was around.

Geraldo said arrangements were being made to bring the boy’s remains back to Leyte.

“Mosquitoes are not a big problem for us here because we don’t have a clogged canal. There is also no stagnant water,” Geraldo said.

According to the Cebu City Health Office, Porcerada’s death caused by dengue is the fourth this year.

City Health Officer Dr. Stella Ygonia advised the public to be vigilant.

“The moment you have fever, immediately seek medical attention especially now with the rainy season. Wala’y edad nga gipili ang dengue (dengue doesn’t choose any age),” she said.

Dengue fever is an acute viral infection caused by a bite from mosquitoes carrying the dengue virus.

Symptoms include high fever, skin rash, severe pain in the head and muscles, chills, diarrhea, and vomiting.

Bouts of extreme exhaustion may last for months after the initial symptoms.

Unless treated immediately, fever will worsen and patients will experience bleeding under the skin and intestines and red spots on the legs and a severe drop in blood pressure.

The City Health Office’s Epidimiology Surveillance and Statistics Unit said barangay Hipodromo ranked 26th among the 80 barangays of the city in the number of dengue cases from January to August this year with 22 cases.

In a press briefing at Cebu City Hall yesterday, Ygonia said the city recorded 1,569 cases as of last month.

This was 38 percent lower than the 2,559 cases and eight deaths recorded for the same period last year.

Barangay Guadalupe ranked the highest with 115 cases followed by Talamban with 106 and Tisa with 92 cases.

Barangays Agsungot, Lusaran, Paril, Pung-ol, Sinsin, Sudlon II and Toong had no recorded dengue cases.