A viral kind of love
A 12-year-old girl has been suffering from fever for a few days. She
would sometimes experience chills and night sweats. Eventually, rashes
appeared on her fragile body. The flu-like symptoms occurred so
suddenly.
But her parents ruled out flu. Maybe it was just a simple infection
that the young girl had contacted while playing around their home.
The young girl was infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV),
the youngest person to become infected with the virus through sexual
intercourse since the city started monitoring the HIV cases in 1993.
Dr. Josephine Villafuerte, Davao City health chief, shared that there
are about 22 new HIV cases that have been recorded during the first
quarter of the year, which brought the statistics in the city to 140. In
2010, there were 39 cases reported. Since, 1993, less than 20 people
have died of the infection in Davao City.
World statistics show that the global rate of the new HIV cases
declined by nearly 25 percent between 2001 and 2009. In India, the
numbers fell by more than 50 percent, and in South Africa, by more than
35 percent. Both countries have been reported to have the largest number
of people living with HIV in their continents.
Sadly, the same cannot be said about the Philippines. Reports show
that there has been a significant increase in the number of cases since
June of 2010. From 109, the number rose to 178, a stunning 63 percent
increase.
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