Dengue on the rise in Caraga

BUTUAN CITY – The regional office of the Department of Health (DOH 13) here on Saturday expressed concern over the rising number of dengue cases in Caraga region.

Based on the latest data received by the DOH 13 from the various Disease Reporting Units (DRUs), 22 deaths were already recorded as of Dec. 2018, much higher compared in same period last 2017 with 13 deaths. This was 69.2 percent higher compared to the same period of 2017, it said.

A total of 6,788 cases were admitted to DRUs regionwide for the whole year of 2018. This was 158 percent higher compared to same time period in year 2017 with 2,631 cases, it also said.

For the month of December alone, there were 473 cases reported by the various DRUs of Caraga region. Most of the reported cases came from Surigao del Sur (169 cases), Agusan del Sur (95 cases), Surigao del Norte (71 cases), Dinagat Islands (47 cases) and Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur (32 cases).

Barangays identified as hotspots were in Barangays Roxas and Tagasaka, both of Hinatuan town, Surigao del Sur province and Barangay Rizal, Surigao City in Surigao del Norte.

With this current development, the officials from the regional office of DOH 13 urged all sectors to unify in controlling the increase of mosquitoes that carry the dengue virus.

These mosquitoes transfer the virus through their bites from an infected person to another, it also said.

The DOH 13 officials appealed to the public to continue the dengue prevention activities by continuously maintaining cleanliness in the surroundings and advised residents to eliminate mosquito breeding sites in their neighborhood such as rain barrels, drums, pails and other water containers, discarded tires, bottles and tin cans, garbage cans, clogged roof and gutters, coconut shells, tree holes and bamboo stumps.

The best way to reduce the number of mosquitoes is to eliminate the places where the mosquitoes are able to lay their eggs,” the DOH 13 officials said.

Dengue is an acute febrile disease caused by the bite of dengue-infected mosquitoes. It is characterized by moderate to high grade fever of two to seven days, headaches, retro-orbital pain, muscle and joint pains, vomiting, abdominal pain, minor and major bleeding and decreased platelets.