Dengue cases rise in Negros, Benguet

BACOLOD CITY: Dengue cases in Negros Occidental increased by 126 percent from January to May this year compared to the same period last year, the Provincial Health Office (PHO) here reported on Friday.

The PHO recorded 389 cases this year compared to 172 cases recorded in the same period in 2021.

Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, provincial health officer, however said that Negros Occidental has not yet reached the alert level threshold of 500 cases but the PHO is now implementing necessary preventive measures to address the increasing number of dengue cases.

He added that some of the employees assigned at the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City were among the victims.

Tumimbang said they cannot implement fogging operations at the hospital because of the patients confined in the medical facility. What they can do, he said, is to remove stagnant water in the surroundings, including those in containers without cover. He said the PHO will also provide for mosquito nets and anti-mosquito sprays and hold seminars to reeducate the hospital staff.

Tumimbang also noted that the number of dengue case in Negros Occidental usually increases every three years and it is due for a spike this year.

San Carlos City, meanwhile, topped the list among the 31 local government units in the province, having the most number of cases at 36.

Four deaths due to dengue cases were recorded this year, Tumimbang added.

In Benguet, health authorities warned residents to take the necessary precaution against dengue fever following a significant increase in the number of cases over the past four months compared to the same period last year with the onset of the rainy season.

Based on the data obtained from the Benguet PHO, 373 cases of dengue fever were reported in the province from January to April this year, which translates to a 189 percent increase from the 129 cases that were recorded during the same period last year.

However, there was only one reported dengue-related death this year, a senior citizen from La Trinidad town.

Health officials advised the residents to sustain their adherence to the regular cleanup activities in their surroundings by getting rid of containers with clear and stagnant water which can serve as breeding ground of dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

The provincial health office is also monitoring the reported clustering of dengue cases in populated areas in the province to ensure that the same will not spread in other villages.

Dengue fever is now considered a yearround illness because of reported surges in cases in different parts of the country.

The PHO said village leaders must conduct regular cleanup activities in their backyards to prevent the multiplication of dengue carrying mosquitoes.