Increase in dengue cases in Central Visayas seen this year
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Local health officials in Central Visayas are bracing for an increase in dengue cases this year.
As of March 26, the Department of Health in the region (DOH-7) has already recorded 1,468 cases of dengue, of which 18 resulted in mortalities
DOH-7 only recorded a total of 662 dengue cases, with three deaths, in the entire 2021. This meant that the increase in dengue patients in Central Visayas for 2022 already reached 121 percent.
“Compared to last year, it’s (the number of dengue cases as of March 26) is 121 percent higher,” said Dr. Ronald Jarvik Buscato, dengue program coordinator of DOH-7.
“Naa pa ta karun sa warm or dry season. Expected na sa dry season mas mubo ang life span sa mosquitoes and lesser ang chance na magkadaghan. So much more if padung na ta sa rainy or wet season… (Mao nang) we’re expecting an increase this year,” said Buscato.
(We are still in the warm or dry season. It is expected during the dry season that the life span of mosquitoes are shorter and there is a lesser chance for them to increase their numbers. So much more if we are heading to the rainy or wet season…(that is why) we’re expecting an increase this year.)
DOH-7 pointed to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as one of the primary reasons why there were fewer dengue cases recorded in 2021.
This year, as restrictions started to ease, they reminded the public to once again implement and observe measures meant to curb the spread of the dengue virus.
These included constantly cleaning their surroundings in order to eradicate potential breeding places for dengue-carrying mosquitoes.
“Usa sa mga factors ang atong perme gipahinumdum sa tanan is to make sure atong palibot, labi na sa atong panimalay, walay areas nga pwede makapangitlog ang mga lamok,” said Buscato.
(One of the factors that we always remind the public is to make sure that the surroundings, especially in our homes, don’t have areas were the mosquitoes can breed.)
Dengue viruses are transmitted through mosquito bites. A human can get infected with dengue through the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus mosquito, according to the United States’ Center for Disease Control (CDC).
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