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MANILA, Philippines – A total of 46,651 people have been sick with dengue this year, and the death toll — 294 — is raising concerns among health authorities.
Health Assistant Secretary Eric Tayag told reporters that the total number of cases from January to July this year is 13.8% higher than the 40,975 recorded during the same period in 2011. Death toll last year was 259.
“The DOH is really really concerned now because of the increasing number of deaths,” he said.
Tayag warned that all the 4 dengue strains — serotypes 1, 2, 3, and 4 — have been observed in the dengue cases this year. Thus it’s possible that this year’s death toll will surpass the number in 2011, because people who got afflicted with one particular strain could fall ill from another strain, according to Tayag.
A total of 23.1% of the cases this year were recorded in Metro Manila, followed by Central Luzon (15.6%) and Calabarzon (13.3%).
The DOH stressed that not all dengue victims need to be hospitalized. Tayag said the department wants to make sure doctors are not doing an “over-diagnosis,” saying some cases can be treated with intravenous fluids. – Rappler.com
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