Dengue cases continue to rise in Region VI
Cases of dengue fever continue to rise in Region VI, records at the Department of Health show. But health authorities ruled out the incidence of an outbreak, although an employee of the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (Resu) said that the region has the highest number of dengue cases in the country.
At the latest count by the Resu, there are already 5,064 dengue cases in Western Visayas as of September 30. There are 63 deaths, up three-fold from last year's 12.
Figures for the month of October have yet to be entered in the Resu's record.
"As compared to the same period last year, there is an increase of 318% in the admissions," the Resu report states, a copy of which was obtained by The NewsToday. However, the figures show a downward trend in the new cases.
"There is a downward trend in the number (of) dengue cases starting from the 34th morbidity week (from August 19-25)," said the report.
At the same time, the Resu noted that "there are no clustering of cases or outbreaks within the region." Within Western Visayas, the provinces of Negros Occidental and Iloilo; and Bacolod and Iloilo Cities "…have the most number of dengue cases," according to Resu.
However, "(t)here is a considerable decline in the number of cases reported from these areas," the report states.
Bacolod City has the most number of cases at 1,987; Negros Occ. Has 1,392. Iloilo province has 1,076, while the city has 847. Elsewhere in the region, Guimaras has 74; Aklan, 88; Antique, 62; and Capiz, 78.