CV dengue cases up by 156%; public urged to clean homes

DOH Regional Director Jaime Bernadas insists their report is merely a recommendation given to the Cebu City Council in aid of legislation or to improve the landfill.
(CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

The health department in Central Visayas is calling again for residents in the region to continue to intensify their clean-up drive as the number of dengue cases dramatically increased by 156 percent.

Dr. Jonathan Neil Erasmo of the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7), said last Friday that the number of dengue cases recorded by the DOH-7 went up by 12,237 cases from Jan. 1 to Sept. 3 this year as compared to 4,487 cases in the same period last year.

Erasmo said that the dengue deaths also increased to 106 in Jan. 1 to Sept 3 this year from 24 cases in the same period last year.

Erasmo’s call also came amid the increase of persons infected with the locally-transmitted Zika virus in Iloilo to six persons.

Erasmo also said that Cebu City topped the list of cities in Central Visayas with dengue cases recorded at 1,756 and 12 deaths.

The DOH-7 records also showed for the same period this year that Mandaue City was No. 2 in the areas with cases of dengue in the region. Toledo City with 481 cases and three deaths and Lapu-Lapu City with 393 cases and seven deaths were also in the top 10 of the areas with high incidence of dengue cases in the region.

According to the DOH-7, majority of the cases belong to the one to five year-old age group.

Erasmo also said that the same advice would be given to the public on how to prevent the Zika virus — clean surroundings and homes to prevent the Aedes aegypti mosquito which carries both viruses.

“Ang atong pagmanage is same ra sad sa dengue so mao na we intensify our search and destroy, and other measures aron mahunong nato ang spread sa mga lamok labi na sa panahon sa ting-uwan,” he said.

Dr. Jaime Bernadas, DOH-7 regional director, said that despite the panic over reports of new Zika cases, the increase in dengue cases would cause more worries because dengue if left untreated could be fatal.

Bernadas said, for Zika infections, the only concern would be for pregnant women because it would bring pregnancy complications, which could lead to microcephaly among newborns if the mother would get infected during pregnancy especially in her first trimester.

Bernadas echoed Erasmo call as he emphasized proper sanitation in the homes as playing a big role in preventing the spread of the carrier mosquitoes for both dengue and Zika diseases.

He also give tips on how to clean the homes to prevent the carrier mosquitoes from thriving in their homes.