Since the onset of the rainy season, the regional Department of Health office is monitoring dengue cases in the province .
About 2843 dengue cases and 16 deaths caused by dengue were recorded by the DOH from January 1 to Aug. 1 this year.
This is 2.4 percent higher compared to the same period last year when DOH recorded 2,777 dengue cases and 11 deaths caused by dengue.
Reynan Cimafranca, Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit Chief, said they expect the number to rise this year. “Most of the affected were 21 years old,” Cimafranca said.
Cebu City tops the list with 526 cases and three dengue deaths, followed by Lapu-Lapu City with 121 cases and zero deaths and Toledo City with 98 cases and 2 deaths.
Last year, Cebu City registered 541 dengue cases and two dengue deaths, followed by Dumaguete City with 176 cases and zero deaths and Lapu-Lapu City with 163 cases and zero death.
“Every rainy season, the numbers will increase because of the conditions brought by the season and we are expecting the number of cases to increase this following weeks,” Cimafranca said.
Majority of the cases came from Cebu City (18.6 percent), followed by Lapu-Lapu City (4.3 percent), Toledo City (3.5 percent) and Liloan City (2.8 percent).