Dengue attacks anew
Barely two weeks since the dreaded mosquito-borne Dengue Fever claimed its latest victim in a Third Grader elementary student of the Central Philippine University (CPU), two more youngsters hang on to dear life.
Both in critical condition with the next 24 hours crucial waiting period, the latest confirmed Dengue victims is an 8 year old boy from Oton, Iloilo and a 5 year old Kindergarten pupil from Baragay Tanpael, Tigbauan, Iloilo.
The two are in tight watch inside the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Iloilo St. Paul's Hospital.
Like the CPU student, the 8 year-old victim is also an only child of an Ilongga Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) based in Dubai as a nurse. The father is a local businessman who has since called for type O blood donors with concerns running high as the child reached the critical stage 3. The 8 year old is a First Grader of the Mary Immaculate Concepcion school in Oton.
The 5 year old on the other hand is the eldest daughter of a seaman. Hospital sources placed her latest condition to be under stage 2.
The News Today (TNT) further learned that a 21 year-old male from Januiay, Iloilo was also confined and remains in intensive care also a Dengue victim.
A check made by TNT also showed confirmed confinements of at least two Dengue victims in the Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) in Mandurriao, Iloilo City and the West Visayas State University Medical Center (WVSUMC) in Jaro, Iloilo City.
It was not immediately clear if these are city victims.
To recall, efforts were made by the technical team of the Department of Health (DOH) regional office to conduct an entomology survey in city areas with reported Dengue cases.
The CPU victim was the only daughter of a couple residing in M.H. Del Pilar, Jaro and succumbed to Dengue Fever after three days of hospital confinement. It was not immediately clear where the young girl could have been bitten by the dreaded mosquito.
The DOH when apprised of the incident moved to have an Entomology survey in CPU particularly in the elementary department premises. An expert from the DOH regional office was then alerted alongside a team that will determine breeding sites, if any, of the killer-mosquito.
Dr. Fabian Mabasa, DOH 6 Dengue-cases coordinator in an earlier TNT interview assured of prompt action. Dr. Mabasa further assured that validation is being made on reported cases on record with the DOH. A check also made on various city barangays to ascertain if any of the Dengue victims came from the CPU community.
City records bare a total of 34 cases since January of this year starting off with ten cases in January, thirteen confirmed cases in February, five in March, two in April, one in May and three in June. The figure is expected to increase once the July data are fully gathered and validated.
While the Municipality of Oton appears to have the most number of victims now placed over 40 since Dengue hit anew.