CAPIZ – The Capiz Provincial Health Office (PHO) logged 11 new cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever from Jan. 29 to Feb. 4, bringing the total cases to 56 so far this year.
This is 143.48 percent higher compared to the 23 cases recorded in the same period last year, the PHO added.
Tapaz town has the highest number of dengue cases so far (27), followed by Roxas City (10), and Pilar and Cuartero (four each).
Meanwhile, a clustering of dengue cases has been monitored in Barangay Agpalali, Tapaz.
Other dengue cases are from Dumalag, Dumarao, Panay and Panitan with three cases each; Ivisan, Mambusao, Sapian and Sigma with two cases each; and Jamindan and Pontevedra with one case each.
There were no recorded cases of dengue in Dao, Maayon and President Roxas towns.
With the increasing number of dengue cases, the PHO advised the public to continue taking measures against dengue-carrying mosquitoes.
“Subong nga bulan sang Pebrero, indi magkumpyansa bisan pa nga nagasugod na ang mainit nga tyempo bangod nagasulod na kita sa summer season. Tandaan nga ang dengue wala sang ginapili. Maulanon man ukon mainit ang panahon, ang makahalalit nga lamok ara lang sa aton palibot. Gani ipabilin ang katinlo sa aton panimalay, sa eskwelahan kag sa aton komunidad agud matapna ang dengue,” the PHO advisory read.
Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection that causes a severe flu-like illness that could be fatal if not managed well. Its carriers are day-biting mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti) that breed in clear, stagnant water.
The PHO cited the 4S strategy to prevent the spread of dengue: search and destroy mosquito breeding sites; self-protection measures like wearing trousers and long-sleeved shirts and daily use of mosquito repellent; seek early treatment; and support fogging/spraying only in hotspot areas where an increase in cases is registered for two consecutive weeks to prevent an impending outbreak./PN
