BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
With 134 new cases reported for Morbidity Week 22, dengue cases in Negros Occidental went up further to 953, registering an increase of 423 percent from January to June 4 this year, compared to 182 cases for the same period in 2021, a report of the Provincial Health Office said.
The PHO report further stated that the dengue attack rate for Negros Occidental is 36.6 cases per 100,000 population.
La Carlota City has the highest attack rate of 9.4 cases per 10,000 population, while Himamaylan City, has the greatest number of reported dengue cases with 88 and Binalbagan has the highest total increase with 2,750 percent.
On the other hand, Victorias City has the highest total decrease in dengue cases with 73.33 percent, compared to the same period of last year, the PHO report further showed.
Meanwhile, the top five LGUs with minimal cases of dengue were Salvador Benedicto and La Castellana with 3 each, Victorias City and Candoni with 4 each and five in EB Magalona.
Hinigaran is now on the epidemic threshold in terms of dengue cases, while Kabankalan City ranked second with the greatest number of cases with 84, San Carlos City – 81, La Carlota City – 65 and 57 in Binalbagan, the PHO also said.
Despite the surging cases, the dengue death toll remains at five.
Clustering of dengue cases were also reported by PHO in 60 barangays of Bago City, Binalbagan, Calatrava, Cauayan, Himamaylan City, Hinigaran, Hinobaan, Ilog, Isabela, Kabankalan City, La Carlota City, Moises Padilla, Murcia, Pontevedra, Pulupandan, San Carlos City, San Enrique, Sipalay City, Talisay City, Toboso and Valladolid.
Negros Occidental is now on the alert level threshold, as reported earlier by Provincial Health Officer Dr. Ernell Tumimbang.
Action taken by the PHO includes weekly surveillance of cases from all hospitals and LGUs, investigation of suspected dengue deaths and cases, and recommendations to declare outbreaks for LGUs that reached the criteria for epidemics. A total of 155 dengue cases were also reported in Bacolod City in the first five months of 2022, an increase of 103.7 percent compared to last year.*