KALIBO, Aklan – The Provincial Health Office (PHO) noted a significant increase in the number of dengue cases in Aklan but it said there is no outbreak yet.
Aklan has yet to reach the epidemic alert threshold but needs to double its efforts against the mosquito-borne disease, the PHO stressed.
In the latest data, Aklan logged 44 new cases from July 3 to 9 for morbidity week 27.
The province already recorded 275 cases and two dengue-related deaths from Jan. 1 to July 9, data from the Department of Health (DOH) Region 6.
The majority of reported dengue cases were found to be female with 154 or 56 percent.
Thirty-nine percent of cases were children ages one to 10 years old with 106 cases, followed by 11 to 20 years old with 66 cases.
Provincial Health Officer I Dr. Cornelio Cuachon Jr. said there are no towns in Aklan have gone beyond the dengue alert level threshold.
There are clustering of cases with the spike of dengue in 17 barangays with three or more cases in three consecutive weeks. Health personnel are now monitoring the high number of cases detected in the barangays of Ibajay.
In Ibajay, eight dengue cases were recorded in Barangay Poblacion, followed by Aquino with six, Naile and Laguinbanua with five cases each, Agabago, Polo and Rizal with four cases each.
PHO-Aklan also reminded the public to practice the 4S strategy: Search and destroy, Self-protection measure, Seek early consultation when symptomatic, and Support fogging in identified areas with clustering of cases./PN