Iloilo City tops Dengue fever cases in W.Visayas
Dengue cases in Western Visayas have reached to 1,515 cases with 24 deaths recorded. Iloilo City has the most number of cases and deaths for the first seven months of the year. In Iloilo City, there are 447 cases with 16 deaths. The figures provided by the Department of Health (DOH) 6 covers from January to July 11, 2009.
The health department has identified three barangays in the city where most of the dengue cases occurred. They are barangays Sto. Nino, Arevalo; San Juan, Molo and Veterans Village, City Proper.
The number of dengue cases in the city tremendously increased in spite of the call of Mayor Jerry Treñas to all the residents, barangay officials, private organizations, civic groups and the Church to help in the campaign. An executive order was handed down to 180 barangay captains in the city to implement a continuous clean up activities in their respective barangays to eliminate the breeding place of the mosquitoes carrying the dengue virus.
The chief executive wants a search and destroy operation of the mosquito breeding places to prevent the virus-carrying mosquito from spreading. He acknowledged the need to further strengthen the city’s action plan against dengue. He described dengue as more dangerous compared to influenza A(H1N1). The City Health Office (CHO) has formed a group to address the information campaign in the fight against dengue.
Last week, the mayor has reminded all the punong barangays of their action regarding the campaign against dengue as he stressed the importance of clean-up activities in driving off the mosquitoes.
In the DOH-6, report, Negros Occidental followed Iloilo City with 346 cases with two deaths; Iloilo province, 333 cases with five deaths; Bacolod City 203 cases with no deaths; Capiz 80 cases with one death; Aklan 43 cases with no registered deaths; Guimaras with 33 cases with no deaths and the province of Antique with six cases and no deaths.
The DOH-6 came up with the total of 1,515 cases by summing up the 1,491 cases recorded in the entire region with the 24 recorded deaths.
The health department noted an increase of 24 percent in the dengue cases compared in 2008 of the same period. The age level of the dengue victims ranges from as young as three months old to 75 years old. Female victims comprised the most number of victims reaching to 54 percent.
The same DOH-6 report recommended regular clean-up drive and advised the parents or guardians of the victims to seek immediate medical intervention. A continuous surveillance and monitoring activities in all health facilities is also recommended.