BACOLOD CITY — Cases of dengue in this city from January 1 to June 23 this year decreased by 40.7 percent compared to the figures for the same period last year, a report released by the City Health Office on Thursday (CHO) showed.
The data, covering the first 25 weeks this year, showed 278 cases, including three deaths. Last year, 469 cases, with three deaths, were reported.
Youngest patient was four months old with the oldest being 72 years old, but the age group with the most number of cases is between one and 10.
The fatalities included two six-year-olds from Barangays Sum-ag and Felisa, and an 11-year-old from Barangay Pahanocoy.
Dr. Grace Tan, head of the CHO Environment Sanitation Division, said dengue cases increase every three years, and it was in 2016 that cases in Bacolod also surged.
“This correlates with the increase in dengue cases in the national level since 2010. Based on the trend, cases are expected to rise in 2019,” she added.
The top 10 barangays with the highest dengue cases since January this year are Taculing with 27 cases; Sum-ag, 26; Villamonte, 24; Handumanan, 23; Singcang-Airport, 22; Alijis, 18; Mansilingan, 17; Tangub, 16; Mandalagan, 14; and Estefania, 12.
Pahanocoy and Felisa, where the two deaths were reported, have nine and five cases, respectively.
“We are still advocating to the people of Bacolod to adhere to the 4S strategy to prevent dengue,” Tan said.
The 4S strategy includes: Search and destroy mosquito breeding places; Secure self-protection; Seek early consultation; and Support fogging/spraying only in hot spot areas where increase in cases is registered for two consecutive weeks to prevent impending outbreak.
“We have to do this together. It is not only the concern of the health sector, dengue is everybody’s concern,” Tan added.
Meanwhile, cases of leptospirosis in Bacolod increased by 62.5 percent in the first six months of 2018.
The CHO recorded 13 suspected cases, with one death, compared to last year’s eight cases, with three deaths.
“These are all suspected. In confirmed cases, the leptospira organism should be identified in the patient’s blood sample,” she said.
Blood samples are sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine for confirmation.
The Department of Health (DOH) said the leptospira bacteria enter through wounds when in contact with flood waters, vegetation, moist soil contaminated with the urine of infected animals, especially rats.
Its signs and symptoms include fever, non-specific symptoms of muscle pain, headache, calf-muscle pain and reddish eyes for some cases and severe cases result to liver involvement, kidney failure or brain involvement.
To prevent leptospirosis, the DOH has advised the public to avoid swimming or wading in potentially contaminated water or flood water; use proper protection like boots and gloves when work requires exposure to contaminated water; drain potentially contaminated water when possible; and control rats in the household by using rat traps or rat poison, maintaining cleanliness in the house. (Nanette Guadalquiver/PNA)
