Two more children die of dengue in Bacolod

BACOLOD CITY — The City Health Office has reported two more dengue deaths involving children, bringing the total number of fatalities to five as of Sept. 12.

City Health Officer Dr. Grace Tan said the fourth fatality was a 9-year-old boy from Barangay Mansilingan who died of dengue on the night of Sept. 2.

The CHO received the report on Sept. 3 after the boy had been confined in a hospital for two days with severe dengue, fever, and vomiting.

His fever began Aug. 28 and was first noticed while he was in school.

The death was the second dengue fatality recorded in Barangay Mansilingan this year.

The fifth fatality was an 8-year-old boy from Barangay 16 who died early on Sept. 8.

The CHO received the report on Sept. 9, two days after the boy was admitted to a hospital on Sept. 7 because of fever, abdominal pain, and vomiting.

The first two dengue deaths were recorded in Barangays Villamonte and Granada.

Details on the third recorded fatality were not included in the report.

A total of 666 dengue cases have been recorded in Bacolod since January, with Barangay Mansilingan posting the highest number at 82.

Barangay Handumanan followed with 58 cases, Barangay Estefania with 53, Barangays Alijis and Singcang-Airport with 44 each, Barangay Villamonte with 40, Barangay Granada with 39, Barangay Banago with 32, Barangay Taculing with 31, and Barangay Tangub with 30.

The CHO recorded 14 cases among children younger than 1, 254 among those ages 1 to 10, and 205 among those ages 11 to 19.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease that can cause high fever, severe headache, body pain, vomiting, and, in severe cases, bleeding and organ complications.

The CHO noted that cases declined from 788, with five deaths, during the same period last year to 666 this year.

The decline represents a 15.5% decrease in dengue cases.