BACOLOD City – The sharp increase in the number of dengue cases in this city has alarmed the City Council committee on health.
From 317 cases with three deaths from January 1 to August 3 last year, the number grew 36.9 percent to 434 cases with two deaths in the same period this year, data from the City Health Office (CHO) showed.
Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms typically begin three to 14 days after infection and may include a high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash.
In severe cases, dengue can develop into more serious conditions, such as dengue hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome, which can be life-threatening.
“The spike in dengue cases is very alarming when compared to last year’s record. We hope to contain this,” said Councilor Claudio Jesus Puentevella, chairman of the Council’s committee on health.
He added that within two weeks the city logged two dengue deaths.
“Records showed that between July 21 to 27, the city logged 61 dengue cases with one fatality, then from July 28 to August 3, additional 105 cases and another death were recorded,” he said.
Following this, the city councilor said the public must be vigilant against dengue fever especially that most of the cases were due to outdoor exposure.
“Nagapangayo kita nga ang outdoor activities i-limit lang anay .Ang tyempo subong naga ulan-init kag ang stagnant water ara lang. Halong kada isa kag avoid lang anay ang outdoor activities for the meantime,” Puentevella said.
He further said that based on the CHO record, those most affected belong to the one to 19-year-old age group and majority of the cases were in big barangays.
According to the CHO, among the barangays that recorded the highest number of dengue cases are Taculing (60); Bata (41); Villamonte ( 32); Granada, Estefania and Mansilingan (27 each); Cabug (24); Alijis (21); Banago and Mandalagan (20 each); Tangub (17); and Sum-ag (16).
For her part, Dr. Grace Tan, chief of the Environment Sanitation of CHO, encouraged the public to practice the 4S strategy against dengue: search and destroy the mosquitos breeding places; self-protection by wearing long sleeves and long pants and using mosquito repellant; seek early treatment; support fogging or spraying.
The CHO added that the most identified mosquito breeding places are collected water in uncovered containers inside and outside homes.
It strongly urges the city residents to regularly check containers with water especially after the rain for presence of mosquitoes and mosquito larva or pitik-pitik./PN
