ILOILO – Thirty-nine individuals were confined in various hospitals here due to dengue. They were part of the 373 dengue cases that the Provincial Health Office has recorded since the start of this year.
The dengue death toll, on the other hand, remained at six.
This year’s cases so far (first half of the year) are 119.4 percent higher than those recorded in the first half of 2021 (170 cases with one death).
The hospitalized dengue patients were in the following:
* Iloilo Provincial Hospital – three
* Aleosan District Hospital – two
* Rep. Pedro G. Trono Memorial District Hospital – 12
* Ramon Tabiana Memorial District Hospital – one
* Sara District Hospital – two
* Ramon D. Duremdes District Hospital – two
* Dr. Ricardo S. Provido Memorial District Hospital – one
* Federico Roman Tirador Sr. Memorial District Hospital – two
* Barotac Viejo District Hospital – two
* San Joaquin Mother and Child Hospital – 13
“Magpakonsulta gid kon may sintomas nga nabatyaga,” said Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr.
Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection causing a severe flu-like illness that could sometimes be fatal. Its carriers are day-biting mosquitoes (Aedes albpictus and Aedes aegypti) that live and breed and clean, stagnant water.
He reminded residents to practice the “5S” strategy against the spread of dengue: search and destroy mosquito breeding sites; self-protection; seek early consultation; supporting fogging/spraying only in hotspot areas; and safety and health protocols.
PHO data showed a clustering of dengue cases in nine barangays (three or more cases within a four consecutive-week period). These are in the following towns:
* Guimbal – barangays Burgos-Gengos (three), Bagumbayan Poblacion (four) and Cabubugan (three)
* Miag-ao – Barangay Tumagboc (three)
* San Joaquin – barangays Qui-anan (16 ), Igburi (three), and Lawigan (16)
* Tubungan – barangays Lanag Sur (11) and Teniente Benito (three)
Don’t delay seeking medical help. According to the Department of Health (DOH), this is the most common reason for dengue fatalities in Western Visayas.
“Usually pila na ka adlaw nga nagamasakit, nga nagahilanat before sila magpakonsulta. Abi nila trangkaso lang,” said Dr. Bea Camille Natalaray, head of DOH Region 6’s Integrated Non-Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control Program Sector.
According to the World Health Organization, individuals should suspect dengue when a high fever (40 degrees centigrade) is accompanied by two of the following symptoms: severe headache, pain behind the eyes, nausea / vomiting, swollen glands, muscle and joint pains, and rashes.
For severe dengue, the warning signs to look out for are: severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, rapid breathing, bleeding gums, blood in vomit, fatigue, and restlessness.
PHO listed the following towns as having the most number of dengue cases in the province – San Joaquin (84 cases with one death), Tubungan (39), Guimbal (35 cases with two deaths), Miag-ao (21 cases with one death), Estancia (17), Oton (17), Pototan (16), Tigbauan (12), and Santa Barbara (nine). Passi City has nine cases with one death.
Four towns, on the other hand, remain dengue-free – San Rafael, San Miguel, Anilao, Bingawan, and Maasin./PN
