CAPIZ – Cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever in this province continue to increase.
From Jan. 1 to March 4, Capiz logged 98 cases, data from the Provincial Health Office (PHO) showed.
This is 145 percent higher than the 40 cases in the same period last year.
The most affected age group is five to nine years old; the youngest victim was two months old while the oldest was 93 years old.
One death due to dengue was recorded.
Of the 98 cases, Tapaz town has the most cases with 35, followed by Roxas City-14; Pontevedra-six; Jamindan, Mambusao, Panitan and Pilar-five each; Dumalag and Dumarao-four each; Cuartero, Ivisan and Panay-three each; Dao and Sigma-two each; and President Roxas and Sapian-one each.
Cases of dengue in Tapaz is 3,400 percent higher compared to only one case last year in the same period.
Clustering of cases was also recorded in Barangay Candelaria, Tapaz.
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 again emphasized the importance of 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
