BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental’s dengue cases soared to 1,161, data from the Department of Health (DOH) Western Visayas for morbidity week #23 showed.
The province recorded 143 new dengue cases between June 5 and 11, with overall cases now 521 percent higher than the cases recorded in the same morbidity week last year.
The dengue death toll, on the other hand, is six.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Ernell Tumimbang said they are continuing their entomological surveillance in 31 towns and cities, and focused on destroying the breeding places of dengue-carrying mosquitoes.
The two mosquitoes known to spread dengue are the Aedes aegypti and the Aedes albopictus. They are day-biting and breed in clear, stagnant water.
Tumimbang said the province’s dengue cases have now become an immediate concern, thus the PHO is expediting its response to prevent the situation from further escalating.
Dengue causes a severe flu-like illness that could sometimes be fatal.
According to the World Health Organization, individuals should suspect dengue when a high fever (40 degrees centigrade) is accompanied by two of the following symptoms: severe headache, pain behind the eyes, nausea / vomiting, swollen glands, muscle and joint pains, and rashes.
For severe dengue, the warning signs to look out for are: severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, rapid breathing, bleeding gums, blood in vomit, fatigue, and restlessness./PN