Measles outbreak in Tawangan, Benquet

A measles outbreak in Tawangan, a remote barangay in Benquet was investigated. There were 85 cases of measles in a population of 522 people. The overall attack rate was 16.3%, with the highest incidence among children 5-10 years old. The age range was 5 months -26 years old. The case fatality rate was 10.6%. The age specific case fatality rate was 10.8% for the 0-4 years age group, and 15.6% for the 5-9 years. Investigators suspected that infection was introduced into Tawangan by a newly-arrived family from Ifugao. When compared to cases admitted to San Lazaro Hospital in Manila, rural cases were found to be significantly older than the urban cases. These studies suggested that the target age for measles immunization in rural areas should be extended beyond 9 months, which is the age at which the Department of Health give vaccination. (Auth)

AIDS in the Philippines: how much has it spread, what has been done, what lies ahead?

A total of 50 HIV carriers, 46 of them female prostitutes, have been detected through seroprevalence surveys of the Department of Health. Infection rate are highest in 2 cities near US military bases. Seven (7) frank AIDS cases who contracted the disease outside the country have been reported . Public information measures have heavily relied on mass media and there is anecdotal evidence that awareness of the disease among the urban population is increasing. The National AIDS Committee foresees that a large number of cases seen in the Philippines in the next few years will be in returning nationals who where infected abroad. (Auth)