Western Visayas logs fewer dengue cases
ILOILO City – Western Visayas saw a decrease in dengue cases so far this year.
There were 334 cases of the mosquito disease with one death, data from the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) of the Department of Health (DOH) as of Jan. 20 showed.
This is 45 percent lower compared to the 661 cases from the same period in 2023.
The breakdown of dengue cases:
* Aklan – 13 cases
* Antique – 38 cases
* Bacolod City – 10 cases * Capiz – 69 cases
* Guimaras – 28 cases with one death
* Iloilo City – 53 cases
* Iloilo Province – 78 cases
* Negros Occidental – 46 cases
Patients’ ages range from 23 days to 96 years old.
The age group with the highest number of cases, at 40 percent of the total cases, is one to 10 years old.
DOH- 6 data for 2024 morbidity week No. 3, or from Jan. 14 to 20, also showed that there were 96 newly reported dengue cases in the region. For morbidity week No. 2 ( Jan. 7 to Jan. 13) – 152 cases; and morbidity week No. 1 ( Jan. 1 to Jan. 6) – 86 cases.
The top three localities with the highest number of newly reported dengue cases are:
* Iloilo province – 18 new cases (78 total cases)
* Iloilo City – 17 new cases (53 total cases)
* Capiz – 15 new cases (69 total cases)
No new dengue fatalities have been recorded as of Jan. 20. The total regional dengue death count remains at one.
However, t here i s an i ncreased attack rate of dengue ( 2023 vs. 2024 in every 10,000 population) in Iloilo City, Guimaras and Capiz.
The DOH-6 clarified that the case counts reported are subject to change after the inclusion of delayed reports and verified cases.
Dengue fever is caused by a virus transmitted by daybiting mosquitoes ( Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti), which thrive and reproduce in clean, stagnant water.
Dengue fever, which can be life-threatening, typically manifests with a sudden high fever reaching 104 degrees Fahrenheit and is accompanied by at least two of the following symptoms: severe headache, persistent nausea or vomiting, swollen glands, muscle and j oint pains, pain behind the eyes, and red spots or patches on the skin.
Last year, the World Health Organization’s campaign against dengue f ocused on cleaning up mosquito breeding places at least once a week.
These are the following: * Empty water storage containers, scrub the insides and reseal carefully after refilling.
* Clean the insides of flower vases, plant pots, or pet bowls and change the water.
* Clean drains and gutters. * Dispose of any unused containers and objects that can accumulate water.
* Turn over any containers that cannot be thrown away and protect them from rain.
* Even a bottle cap can contain enough water for a mosquito to breed./