E. Visayas records fewer dengue cases

TACLOBAN CITY – Dengue fever cases dramatically dropped last January, the Department of Health (DOH) regional office here reported.

Authorities diagnosed 112 dengue cases in January with no recorded deaths. The figure is 85 percent lower than the figure for the same period last year.

At least 36 percent of the cases were in Leyte province, the highest among the region’s six provinces.

In 2016, the mosquito-borne disease killed 33 people and afflicted 6,322 individuals in the region. The health department expects a significant decline in cases this year, citing patterns over the past decade.

"Although, there is a decline of dengue fever incidence in the region in the early part of 2017, we should not be complacent because dengue occurs all year-round and it could increase anytime if mosquito population is high," said DOH regional information officer Ma. Elena Joy Villarosa.

Dengue, which typically causes flu-like symptoms such as body pain, headaches, and high fever, tends to be found in places where there is mass population, poor sanitation, and unsystematic water storage.

DOH emphasized that people should resort to methods to control mosquito populations and keep their surroundings clean.

Across the region, it was reported that children five to nine years old were commonly affected by dengue.

DOH conducted school-based dengue campaigns and promoted the so-called 4-S: search and destroy the breeding sites of mosquitoes, seek early consultation when experiencing fever for two days already, self-protection measures like wearing long sleeves and using mosquito repellants, and say "no" to indiscriminate fogging.