The Department of Health-Cordillera has advised the public to remain vigilant against dengue, as the region logged 11,594 cases with 18 deaths from January to Sept. 17.
The reported cases is 209 percent higher than the 3,745 cases recorded in the same period last year, based on the DOH data.
Of the total, Benguet recorded the most number with 3,645 cases with seven deaths, followed by Kalinga with 2,465 cases with four deaths and Baguio City that had 2,260 cases with three deaths.
Apayao had 1,607 cases with two deaths, which represented an increase of 5,267 percent from the 30 cases reported in the same period last year. The province had one death also in the same period last year.
Ifugao logged 936 cases while Mountain Province had 524 cases with two deaths.
Abra had the least recorded cases at 157 and the only province that recorded a decrease in cases at 24 percent lower than the 209 cases recorded from January to Sept. 17 last year.
The January to Sept. 17 data does not include the 462 dengue cases from non-Cordillera provinces of whom one died from the infection. Patients from outside the Cordillera who are admitted or seek consultation in the region’s health facilities are indicated in the data of the DOH-Cordillera.
There were 188 barangays that reported case clustering.
DOH Entomologist Alexander Baday said the public should remain vigilant against dengue as he advised schools to strictly practice prevention and control measures as most of the cases recorded belonged to school age children.
Around 1,623 patients belonging to the 11 to 15 years old and 1,614 cases from the 16 to 20 years old age brackets got infected with dengue.
Baday said younger people are more predisposed to dengue since mosquito can easily find their veins.
He said schools should encourage the wearing of long pants instead of skirts for female learners as a deterrent to being bitten by mosquitoes.
He reiterated the observance of the 4-S strategy against dengue which stand for searching and destroying the mosquito breeding grounds, self-protection, seeking early consultation, saying “yes” to fogging when there is an outbreak.
Nationwide, the DOH recorded an increase in dengue cases. Based on the agency’s data, there were 118,785 individuals infected since January to Aug. 13. – Jane B. Cadalig
April 19, 2024
