ILOILO – The number of dengue cases in Iloilo province has continued to drop for five consecutive weeks, following a peak during the 32nd morbidity week from August 4 to 10, 2024, where 1,099 cases were recorded in just one week.
This marked the highest weekly case count since January 2024, according to data from the Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO).
Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease caused by the dengue virus, which is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected Aedes mosquitoes, primarily Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.
Starting August 11, 2024, the province has seen a steady decline in weekly dengue cases:
* August 11-17 – 1,052 cases
* August 18-24 – 752 cases
* August 25-31 – 693 cases
* September 1-7 – 529 cases
* September 8-14 – 334 cases
* September 15-21 – 117 cases
Symptoms of dengue include sudden high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, joint and muscle pain, rash, and mild bleeding.
Severe cases can lead to dengue hemorrhagic fever, which may cause bleeding, blood plasma leakage, and organ impairment, potentially resulting in death.
Despite the continued reduction in cases, the death toll has remained unchanged at 23 since September 27. The fatalities are distributed as follows: Passi City (2), Calinog (1), Dingle (1), Barotac Nuevo (4), Lambunao (1), Santa Barbara (1), Miag-ao (2), San Dionisio (1), Badiangan (2), Sara (1), Banate (1), Igbaras (2), Guimbal (1), Concepcion (2), Estancia (1).
Preventive measures focus on avoiding mosquito bites and eliminating breeding sites. The Department of Health promotes the 4S strategy: Search and destroy mosquito breeding places, Secure self-protection by wearing long sleeves or using insect repellent, Seek early consultation when symptoms appear, and Support fogging or spraying only in hotspot areas where an increase in cases is registered.
The province’s two-week growth rate for dengue cases has also significantly declined. The growth rate for the previous three to four weeks was negative 32.26%, and for the recent 1 to 2 weeks, it has improved to negative 63.09%.
Moreover, the number of barangays with clustering of cases (barangays with three or more cases over a four-week period) has dropped from 243 barangays during the week of September 7 to 14 to 206 barangays for the week of September 15 to 21.
For the year, from January 1 to September 21, 2024, Iloilo Province has recorded a total of 9,301 dengue cases and 23 deaths. This is a 626% increase compared to the same period in 2023, which had only 1,282 cases and two deaths.
Dr. Maria Socorro Colmenares-Quiñon, head of IPHO, attributes the ongoing decrease in dengue cases to the collective efforts of the community, barangay officials, municipal leaders, and stakeholders in practicing the 4S Strategy against dengue, particularly the search and destruction of mosquito breeding sites.
“This proves that when everyone cooperates and supports our campaign against dengue, we can significantly reduce the number of cases,” said Quiñon.
However, she cautioned that the fight is not yet over. Despite the decrease in cases, she stressed the importance of continuing mosquito breeding site elimination, especially as the province approaches the rainy season in the last quarter of 2024.
The municipalities with the highest dengue cases this year are:
* Passi City – 626 cases, 2 deaths
* Oton – 546 cases
* Calinog – 401 cases, 1 death
* Leon – 385 cases
* Dingle – 369 cases, 1 death
* Janiuay – 359 cases
* Barotac Nuevo – 354 cases, 4 deaths
* Dumangas – 334 cases
* Lambunao – 298 cases, 1 death
* Santa Barbara – 295 cases, 1 death
The remaining dengue cases from other municipalities are as follows: Cabatuan (280), Tigbauan (280), Pavia (270), Miag-ao (264, 2 deaths), San Dionisio (241, 1 death), Pototan (235), Barotac Nuevo (226), Badiangan (221, 2 deaths), Sara (209, 1 death), Banate (204, 1 death), Dueñas (204), Lemery (204), Alimodian (200), Igbaras (190, 2 deaths), Batad (160), San Enrique (152), San Miguel (152), Ajuy (136), Anilao (129), Maasin (129), San Joaquin (123), Zarraga (118), Guimbal (117, 1 death), Bingawan (114), Mina (114), Leganes (113), Balasan (112), Concepcion (111, 2 deaths), Estancia (107, 1 death), Tubungan (75), Carles (65), New Lucena (47), San Rafael (32)./PN
