- CHERYL G. CRUZ
The number of dengue cases in Bacolod City reached 127 with two deaths, the City Health Office said Thursday, May 4.
The fatalities were a nine-year-old female from Brgy. Villamonte, and a six-year-old girl from Brgy. Tangub, Dr. Grace Tan, head of the CHO Environmental Sanitation Division said.
This figure is 25.2 percent higher than the cases logged in the same period last year, which was 103 with four deaths, Tan added.
Clustering of cases from April 1 to 22 was noted in barangays Pahanocoy and Mansilingan, she said.
Barangay Mansilingan logged 17 cases, Granada and Tangub with nine cases each, Pahanocoy with eight, barangays Estefania, Cabug, Taculing, and Vista Alegre with seven cases each, Mandalagan and Singcang, six cases each, and Villamonte, Alijis, and Bata with five cases each, the CHO said.
“Damp areas and water from rain when collected in a container can become breeding grounds for dengue-carrying mosquitos,” Tan said as she stressed the need to do the 5s strategy to avoid the spread of dengue.
These include searching and destroying all breeding and nesting places of mosquitoes in and around homes or dwellings, using self-protection to avoid insect bites, seeking early treatment when with fever, saying yes to fogging/spraying when there’s clustering of cases in the community, and staying hydrated, especially if with fever./CGC
