ILOILO City – The island-province of Guimaras has the highest attack rate among provinces and highly urbanized cities in Western Visayas, an official of the Department of Health – Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) Region 6 said on Monday.
Josef Alexander Denila, senior health program officer of DOH-CHD 6, cited their data that Guimaras province had a 1, 075 percent dengue attack rate on the 36th morbidity week or from Jan. 1 to Sept. 7.
“Guimaras has the highest attack rate and the highest increase of dengue cases,” Denila said in a press conference at the DOH-CHD 6’s office in Mandurriao district.
Attack rate refers to the proportion of people who contracted the disease vis-a-vis the total population of an area.
The province posted 53 new cases for the 36th morbidity week, bringing the total to 1,977 dengue cases with four deaths.
Cabano village in San Lorenzo town and Poblacion village in Jordan town, all in Guimaras, were also included in the top 20 villages with clustering of cases in Western Visayas.
Dr. Rosemarie Lamirez, DOH-6 medical coordinator, said the DOH-CHD continues to provide all provinces with supply and logistics for the prevention of dengue.
“Maybe we need more of the commitment of the residents, coordination of the community because in the region and in the province, it all boils down to the participation of everyone,” she said.
Noting that the rainy season can contribute to the spread of the disease, Lamirez reminded not only the people of Guimaras, but the entire Western Visayas to “remain vigilant.”
Dr. Jessie Glenn Alonsabe, head of the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, meanwhile, said the region still could not lift the dengue outbreak status.
“We have to wait for the (directive) of the secretary of health,” he said.
For the 36th morbidity week, Western Visayas recorded a total of 46,681 dengue cases with 204 deaths.
Aside from Guimaras’ dengue report, Aklan recorded 4,975 cases with 20 deaths; Antique has 2,198 cases with 10 deaths; Capiz has 5,715 cases with 23 deaths; Iloilo has 19,005 cases with 70 deaths; Iloilo City has 2,720 cases with 16 deaths; Negros Occidental has 7,963 cases with 52 deaths; and Bacolod City has 1,873 cases with eight deaths; while there are 255 cases and one death not indicated in which town or city. (With a report from PNA/PN)
