• CHERYL G. CRUZ
A 27-year-old construction worker, who was admitted to a hospital Sept. 12 and died that same day, was the 14th leptospirosis fatality in Bacolod, the City Health Office said Thursday.
Dr. Grace Tan, head of the CHO Environmental Sanitation Division, said there were 75 leptospirosis cases in the first nine months of this year, including the 14 deaths.
This is 200 percent higher than the reported cases in the same period last year, at 25, with five fatalities, Tan said, adding that current case fatality rate was at 18.7 percent.
There was no clustering of cases noted during the Sept. 2 to 23 surveillance period, but the CHO said 70 percent of cases “have declared exposure or contact with contaminated water or ground”.
Most common reason for complications and death is delayed health-seeking behavior, Tan added.
The 13 earlier deaths were logged in barangays 14 and Banago, with two each; and one each in Taculing, Handumanan, Villamonte, Bata, Pahanocoy, Granada, Singcang, 6, and Tangub.
Meanwhile, the CHO said dengue cases decreased by 50.7 percent from January to September this year.
Tan said they logged 403 dengue cases with three deaths, compared to the 817 infections with 10 fatalities in the same period last year.
There were still barangays with clustering of cases, as of the Sept. 2 to 23 monitoring period, including Mansilingan, Cabug, Alijis, and Singcang, the CHO said, adding that fogging and spraying, and larvicide application activities were done as part of its continuous drive against the spread of dengue. | CGC
