Health office alarmed as dengue cases in Negros Occ shoot up

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – The Provincial Health Office (PHO) in Negros Occidental has expressed alarm as dengue cases in the province reached the alert level threshold.

PHO record showed that based on the Dengue Fever Surveillance Report from Jan 1 to May 14, 2022, the province now has 511 cases.

Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, PHO head, said the increase is 193.68 percent or 338 cases more compared to the same period in 2021 with 174.

The town of Hinigaran has the highest number of dengue cases with 46.

Fatalities in the province remain at five since January of this year, Tumimbang added.

“Remember this is just the first quarter of the year, we still have a long way to go,” Tumimbang cautioned.

Despite the increase in dengue cases, Tumimbang said they are not yet recommending to City and Municipal Health Offices (CHO, MHO) in the province to conduct fogging operations.

He said fogging will kill only the adult mosquitoes, but not their larvae.

Instead of fogging, Tumimbang said they recommended to the CHOs and MHOs to use larvicides.

This will effectively kill off the mosquito larvae, he stressed.

Tumimbang also pointed out it is still better to get rid of stagnant water, as it would also eliminate possible places for the adult mosquitoes to lay their eggs.

“Amu ni nga stage alarming na, indi ta na ni dapat pagpadugayon,” Tumimbang said.

He further said the provincial government has already reactivated its anti-dengue task force to deal with the rising cases.

Dengue causes a severe flu-like illness that could sometimes be fatal. Its carriers are day-biting mosquitoes.