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COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Fourteen persons have died in the Central Mindanao due to dengue during the first quarter of 2014, the region’s health department reported on Monday.
From January to March 31, DOH-12’s Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) also reported 1,291 cases.
This is 51 percent less compared to the number of cases recorded in the same period in 2013, where it recorded 2,612 cases in the provinces of North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Cotabato, Kidapawan, Tacurong, Koronadal and General Santos City.
RESU said the youngest among the persons with dengue was two months old while the eldest was 91 years old. Of the 1,291 cases, 53 percent were males.
General Santos City recorded the highest number of dengue cases with 446 and seven deaths followed by South Cotabato with 363 cases and three fatalities.
North Cotabato came in third with 175 cases with one death and Sarangani with two deaths.
Sultan Kudarat had 81 dengue cases from January to March and one fatality.
The health department identified hot spots or areas with high cases of dengue this year. These are Barangays Labangal, Fatima, San Isidro, all in General Santos. It also identified Barangay Poblacion in Kiamba, Sarangani as hot spot areas as well as Baranagay Poblacion, Polomolok, South Cotabato.
During the same period last year, the DOH recorded 16 deaths.
Cotabato City had 56 dengue cases this year with no fatality.
Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash that is similar to measles. Dengue is transmitted by several species of mosquito within the genus Aedes, principally Aedes aegypti.
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