DUMAGUETE CITY – The city, which is the capital of Negros Oriental, continues to top the list of the 25 cities and municipalities in the province with the highest incidence of dengue cases since the start of the year, according to a report from the Department of Health (DOH) provincial office here.
Dr. Socrates Villamor, provincial health chief, reported on Monday that as of August 4, Dumaguete City already had 90 cases and two deaths out of the total of 613 cases with five deaths recorded since January 1 in the province.
The other areas on the top 10 list are: Bais City, 64 cases, zero death; Bayawan City, 57 cases, one death; Mabinay, 56 cases, zero death; Guihulngan City, 54 cases, zero death; Tanjay City, 34 cases, zero death; Vallehermoso, 33 cases, one death; Sta. Catalina, 29 cases, zero death; Valencia, 25 cases, zero death; and Siaton, 23 cases and zero death.
The rest of the towns and cities in Negros Oriental had less than 20 dengue cases, with Zamboanguita having one dengue death reported.
The latest report on dengue cases and deaths in the province also shows that dengue incidence for the period covered this year is 52 percent lower than last year, when 1,281 cases and seven deaths were reported.
The ages of the victims this year ranged from 15 days to 92 years old, with male percentage higher than female at 56.3 percent, the DOH-Negros Oriental report further showed.
In the same report, areas with clustering of dengue suspect cases include Canlargo and Manlipac in Bais City; Villareal, Bayawan City; Candauay, Dumaguete City; Samac, Poblacion, Dahile, and Lumbangan in Mabinay; Poblacion, Sta. Catalina and Polo, Tanjay City.
Last year, Dumaguete City also topped the list of Negros Oriental areas having the highest number of dengue cases for the same period covered with 309 cases but with zero death.
Given the variance in dengue cases this year and last year, Villamor reiterated that there is still no cause for alarm but nevertheless he advised people to take the necessary precautionary steps to prevent or at least minimize the occurrence of the mosquito-borne disease in their communities. (Mary Judaline Partlow/PNA)
