Pneumonia is Tarlac’s 2nd top killer, but no SARS

TARLAC CITY — Pneumonia is the second leading cause of mortality in Tarlac, next to heart diseases, but the provincial health office (PHO) gave assurances that there is still no case of the deadly Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) here.

In a report to Gov. Jose Yap Sr. during the regular monthly meeting of the Tarlac Mayors’ League, Dr. Ricardo Ramos, PHO chief, said the province’s mortality rate for pneumonia in 2002 was 68.35, or 763 cases per 100,000 population.

As of last year, the National Statistics Office pegged Tarlac’s population at 1.12 million.

On the other hand, pneumonia’s morbidity rate is 449.33 or 5,016 cases per 100,000 population.

The PHO has also recorded an infant mortality rate of 1.03, or 24 cases for every 1,000 live births, due to pneumonia. There were 23,307 babies born in the province last year.

Heart diseases remain to be the province’s top killer, with a morbidity rate of 159.72, or 1,783 cases per 100,000 population.

The third cause of morbidity is cancer, followed by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), tuberculosis, accidents, kidney diseases, hypertension, diabetes and liver diseases.

Despite pneumonia being in the top 10 causes of morbidity and mortality in Tarlac, Ramos said the PHO has not monitored any SARS case here and in Tarlac’s 17 towns.

Earlier, a 15-year-old girl in Barangay Calingcuan here was reported to have died of SARS at the Central Luzon Doctors’ Hospital, but Ramos denied this.

Ramos told the governor and the mayors during the meeting that the girl, a high school junior, actually succumbed to over-fatigue after undergoing Citizens’ Officer Candidate Corps (COCC) drills.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has described SARS as a flu-like disease with symptoms similar to pneumonia and caused by germs that infect the lungs.

To date, SARS has claimed the lives of a Filipino domestic helper in Hong Kong who was a native of Abra, and at least 54 others in China, Vietnam, Singapore and other countries, and has infected more than 1,300 people.

WHO scientists are still looking for a cure to the dreaded disease. Patients have been found not to be reacting to high doses of antibiotics.

"Vigilance is necessary to contain any initial instance of SARS," Yap said.

The governor gave strict instructions to the mayors and barangay health workers to closely monitor their respective communities for SARS-like symptoms among their constituents and immediately report such cases to the PHO for "quick containment and isolation" of those affected.