W. Visayas dengue cases near 6,000 mark

Dengue cases in Western Visayas have continued to increase and are nearing a record high of 6,000, according to the Department of Health (DOH) regional office.

The DOH said 506 new cases were reported from July 3 to 9, bringing the total to 5,837 since January.

Compared to the same period last year, the DOH said cases rose by 423 percent.

Negros Occidental still has the highest number of cases at 2,096 followed by Antique, 1,591; Iloilo, 986; Capiz, 330; Bacolod City, 293; Aklan, 262; Iloilo City, 199, and Guimaras, 80.

Aklan declared a state of calamity due to dengue after the province logged an increase of 684 percent with four deaths.

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson did not declare a state of calamity due to dengue, saying the provincial health office has enough funds to address the rise in cases.

He said the provincial government allotted P3.9 million last year for the purchase of insecticides used to kill mosquito larvae and an additional P2.7 million was allocated for this year.

Lacson said he would ask city and municipal health offices regarding their preparations in the fight against dengue amid reports that 31 local government units have yet to activate their respective dengue task forces.

In Batangas, 879 cases with three deaths were recorded from Jan. 1 to July 16, the DOH-Calabarzon office reported.

The DOH regional office said cases rose by 101 percent compared to 437 recorded during the same period last year. Lipa City has the most number of cases with 168 followed by Tanauan City, 14; Batangas City, 120, and Sto. Tomas City, 116.

Calabarzon recorded 6,362 dengue cases with 12 deaths, a fatality rate of 19 percent.

Laguna has the most number of cases with 2,004; Rizal, 1,317; Quezon, 1,144; Cavite, 948; Batangas, 879, and Lucena City, 70. Most of the patients are aged two to 10. In the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Dr. Zul Qarneyn Abas, Ministry of Health officer-in-charge, said 1,525 dengue cases with 22 deaths were recorded.

“We are doing our best to address the situation with the help of local government units in BARMM,” he said. Abas said most of the patients are children.