ILOILO – While the number of dengue cases in the province significantly dropped this year, the Provincial Health Office (PHO) still urges Ilonggos to sustain their efforts to prevent the spread of the mosquito-borne disease.
The latest monitoring of the PHO showed 572 suspected dengue cases from Jan. 1 to Sept. 12 this year, which is 97 percent lower than last year’s 20,008 cases in the same period.
Deaths due to the mosquito-borne disease during the period also fell to only two in 2020 from 78 recorded in 2019.
“Tama gid kadaku sang deperensya,” said Dr. Patricia Grace Trabado, head of the PHO.
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.
The municipalities with the most number of suspected dengue cases are Estancia (79), Carles (69), Balasan (35), Ajuy (28), Batad (26), San Dionisoo (26), Calinog (25), Sara (23 with one death), Dumangas (20), and Oton (22).
Meanwhile, 10 towns reported low numbers of dengue cases. These were Zarraga, Mina and Leganes (one each); Santa Barbara, Leon, Igbaras, Alimodian, Lemery, and San Enrique (two each); and Cabatuan and Maasin (three each).
Guimbal with 13 cases reported one dengue-related death.
San Joaquin and San Miguel, on the other hand, reported no dengue cases so far.
Trabado attributed the decline to the massive information and education campaigns, better surveillance and vector control, or the control of disease-carrying insects and other animals, following last year’s dengue outbreak.
“Plus the fact nga ang movement sang mga tawo for the last months limitado kag wala sang klasi ang mga children kay kon tan-awon mo pagdamo naton kaso last year damo sadto nakuha sa mga schools,” Trabado explained further.
To date, no province or city in Western Visayas reached its alert or epidemic threshold despite the country officially being in the rainy season when cases tend to rise.
Health authorities, according to Trabado, already anticipated that dengue cases this year to be fewer because of the disease’s natural three-year cycle when cases drop.
Based on available data, the Department of Health saw 213,930 cases nationwide in 2015 and 220,518 cases in 2016. Total dengue cases dropped to 152,224 in 2017, which increased to 216,190 in 2018 and peaked at 430,282 last year.
Similar to last year, Trabado said, the dominant circulating strain is Serotype 3. This strain causes fever, muscle pains, headache, loss of appetite, vomiting and diarrhea. It is one of the milder strains as those hit by it aren’t hospitalized for long.
She reiterated the importance of the 4S strategy against dengue. It stands for search and destroy mosquitoes’ breeding places, self-protection measures, seek early consultation for fever lasting more than two days, and say “no” to indiscriminate fogging.
“Sige-sige na ang aton dengue prevention and control measures. Wala naga-untat na ang pag-remind naton sa mga pumoluyo nga i-padayun gid ang pagpaninlu sa palibot down to the household level,” Trabado said./PN