GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- Health personnel in South Cotabato have raised concern over the rising incidence of the deadly dengue fever among adults.
Dr. Alah Baby Vingno, assistant head of the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO), said Wednesday their records showed that dengue cases among residents aged 21-years-old and above have continued to increase these past months.
As of July 30, she said they already recorded a total of 4,172 dengue cases, with 22 deaths, in the province’s 10 towns and lone city.
Vingno noted that the figure is above the epidemic threshold or within the outbreak level, and up by 177 percent compared to the 1,504 cases in the same period last year.
A total of 1,770 cases or 42.5 percent were aged 21-years-old and above, 1,231 or 29.5 percent for ages 10 to 20-years-old and 1,171 or 28.1 percent for those aged 10-years-old and below.
Of the 22 fatalities, with the latest reported last Friday, Vingno said at least 14 cases involved adults aged 21 to 70-years-old. Four deaths each were recorded among 10 to 20-years-old and 10-years-old and below.
“It seems that there is a misconception in our communities that dengue only affects children. Our records show that everyone is vulnerable and should take the necessary precaution,” the IPHO official said in a briefing.
In the case of adults that were infected with dengue, Vingno said they only seek treatment after having symptoms for three days to even a week.
She said that in some cases, it was already too late when the patients were brought to the hospital.
She cited the case of the most recent fatality, a 60-year-old patient from Polomolok town who was admitted at the municipal hospital after about a week of on and off fever.
The patient was referred to the South Cotabato provincial hospital in Koronadal City but eventually succumbed to dengue complications, she said. (PNA)
