Dengue clustering hits 96 Iloilo barangays amid 35% case drop

By Mariela Angella Oladive

ILOILO CITY – Ninety-six barangays across 29 municipalities and Passi City recorded dengue clustering in Iloilo province, according to the Provincial Health Office.

Clustering refers to three or more cases in a barangay within four consecutive morbidity weeks.

The province logged 2,913 dengue cases and 15 deaths from Jan. 4 to Sept. 5 this year, a 35% decline from the 4,467 cases and 18 deaths recorded during the same period in 2025.

Estancia had the highest number of barangays with clustering at 15, followed by Balasan with nine, Carles and Passi City with seven each, and Dumangas with six.

Among the affected barangays, Poblacion in Alimodian recorded the highest number of cases at 25, followed by Tacuynan in Estancia with 19, and Dayhagan in Carles with 17.

Among the 43 local government units with recorded cases, Estancia posted the highest number at 274, including five deaths, followed by Calinog with 195, Cabatuan with 171, Passi City with 155, and Carles with 147 cases, including three deaths.

The other seven deaths were recorded in Ajuy, San Dionisio, Sara, Dingle, Miagao, San Rafael, and San Joaquin.

Children ages 5 to 9 were the most affected, recording 587 dengue cases, followed by those ages 10 to 14 with 507 cases.

Those ages 20 to 29 recorded 427 cases, while the 15-to-19 age group had 401.

Patients ages 40 and above accounted for 374 cases.

The 1-to-4 age group recorded 342 cases, followed by those ages 30 to 39 with 151 and infants younger than 1 year old with 124.

Iloilo reached the dengue alert threshold in Morbidity Week 29, covering July 19 to 25.

Provincial health officer Dr. Maria Socorro Colmenares-Quiñon warned at the time that a continued increase in cases could push the province toward the epidemic threshold.

An alert threshold signals that case counts have risen above the expected range for that period, prompting closer surveillance, while the epidemic threshold marks a level that warrants a full outbreak response.

Clustering is tracked separately because it shows sustained local transmission, which can persist in individual barangays even when province-wide totals are falling.

Dengue is endemic in the Philippines and is carried by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which breed in clean standing water and bite mainly during daylight hours, making household containers, tires, and clogged gutters the primary targets of control efforts.

The health office continued to urge local government units and communities to intensify efforts to eliminate mosquito breeding sites, particularly in areas where clustering has been recorded.

Health authorities reminded residents to observe the Department of Health’s 4S strategy against dengue: Search and destroy breeding places, Secure self-protection, Seek early consultation, and Support fogging and spraying in hotspot areas.

Residents experiencing fever for two to seven days, particularly when accompanied by headache, body pain, or rashes, are advised to seek medical consultation promptly.