Dengue cases up 134% in Bacolod

DENGUE cases in Bacolod City have increased by 134 percent from January to August 31 this year, compared to the same period last year, City Health Office (CHO) records showed.

Dr. Grace Tan, head of the CHO Environment Sanitation Division, said yesterday that they listed 1,753 cases with seven deaths from January to August 31 compared to 748 cases with six deaths.

Of 1,753 cases, Barangay Estefania has the highest record number of cases with

205 followed by Barangay Tangub with 151; Barangay Mansilingan, 116; Barangay Villamonte, 115; Alijis, 111; Granada, 99; Bata, 93; Mandalagan and Singcang,83; and Handumanan, 80.

CHO records showed the latest of the seven fatalities was the 12-year old boy from Purok Roadside, Barangay Tangub who expired on August 27.

The victim suffered fever for almost two days and was rushed to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH).

Tan said the public should practice the 4S program of the Department of Health which stands for search and destroy mosquito breeding places; use self-protection measures; seek early consultation for fever lasting more than two days; and say no to indiscriminate fogging.

She said the City Government earlier launched the anti-dengue campaign, called “Deng-get-out of Bacolod! Mag 4 O’clock Habbit Na! and CHO is now conducting monitoring in the 61 barangays.

“The barangay officials should cooperate to this campaign to address the high number of dengue cases in Bacolod. We need to eradicate and destroy all the breeding and nesting places of mosquitoes to prevent dengue. We should clean our environment,” she added.

Tan noted that there were some barangays that failed to practice the 4’ o’clock habit and she assured that they will continue their monitoring.

Tan said the two most prominent species that transmit viruses are Aedes aegypti mosquito, which stays inside the house; and Aedes albopictus mosquito, which stays outside, transmit the viruses that cause dengue fever, yellow fever, among others.

She said she received information that there are some cases of dengue that were not recorded in hospital.

“We have a law that all the reportable diseases should be reported to the authorities because they are not only involve on this, but the whole community that is why all the hospitals are required to report anything that is unnoticeable,” Tan added.