• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Dengue cases in Bacolod increased by 73.5 percent, with 602 infections and three deaths logged in the first eight months of this year, compared to 347 cases, also with three mortalities, in the same period in 2023, the City Health Office said Aug. 21.
Dr. Grace Tan, head of the CHO Environment Sanitation Division, said the latest fatality was an 11-year-old girl from Barangay 16, who succumbed to probable dengue complications Aug. 9.
Tan added the first two dengue deaths in Bacolod this year occurred just last month: an 18-year-old female from Barangay Estefania, who died July 24, and a 68-year-old male from Brgy. Felisa on July 30.
Of the 602 cases from Jan. 1 to Aug. 10, Taculing topped the list of barangays with highest dengue infections at 77, followed by Bata, 62; Villamonte, 43; Estefania and Mansilingan with 37 cases each, and Cabug and Granada, 33 cases each, the CHO said.
Of the total cases, 168 were logged on Week 32, or from Aug. 4-10, it added.
The Department of Health Western Visayas Center for Health Development also said it monitored rising dengue infections this year, with 10,188 cases logged in the first eight months, or a 114 percent increase from the same period in 2023, all over Region 6.
In response to the current situation, the DOH6 said it already activated its Regional Dengue Task Force and Inter-Agency collaboration for outbreak preparedness and response strategies.
The regional office also held trainings for health workers in rural health units and district hospitals on dengue case management, and vector surveillance, while monitoring teams were deployed to areas with clustering of cases and hotspot zones to provide technical assistance, its press release said.
It urged the public to practice and implement the 4S strategy to combat dengue, like regularly inspecting and eliminating any stagnant water sources where mosquitoes can breed, such as vases, cans, old tires, and gutters;
Use of mosquito repellent, wearing light and long-sleeved clothing, and installing window screens to reduce exposure to mosquito bites; seeking early consultation when experiencing symptoms of dengue fever, such as high fever, severe headache, and joint/muscle pain; and supporting fogging and spraying activities to control mosquito populations in the community.
“With our collaborative efforts of implementing the 4S strategy in our schools and communities, let us create a shield of protection against the dengue virus,” Dr. Ma. Sophia Pulmones, DOH6 officer-in-charge, said in a statement. | CGC
