BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Amid increasing dengue cases in Negros Occidental, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Ernell Tumimbang yesterday said that the province has not yet reached the dengue epidemic threshold.
We are still on the alert level threshold, Tumimbang stressed, although Hinigaran was reported to have reached the epidemic level threshold in previous weeks.
As of July 2, the Provincial Health Office reported that dengue cases in Negros Occidental reached 1,800 for the period from January 1 to July 2 this year, compared to 218 cases for the same period last year.
It indicates an increase of 725.69 percent, according to a Dengue Fever Surveillance Report of the Provincial Health Office.
The top 10 local government units of Negros Occidental in terms of recorded number of dengue cases include Himamaylan City, Kabankalan City, Hinigaran, San Carlos City, La Carlota City, Binalbagan, Bago City, Cadiz City, Pontevedra and Cauayan.
Tumimbang also noted an increase in admission of patients suffering from “mild” dengue cases in hospitals.
At the same time, the total attack rate for the province is 69.1 cases per 100,000 of the total population, with La Carlota City recording the highest attack rate of 19.7 cases per 100,000.
Pontevedra recorded highest increase in percentage of dengue cases at 7,300 percent, while the highest reduction in cases was reported in Victorias City at 11.76 percent.
Deaths also increased from three last year to 10 this year, Tumimbang said.
Tumimbang attributed the decrease in dengue cases in Hinigaran to simultaneous fogging and larvicidal operations, supported by clean up drives every Friday of the week. He however discourages fogging operations in areas still at the dengue alert level threshold.*
