24 Dengue deaths chalked in Bacolod, province

The regional health office recorded 24 deaths due to dengue in Bacolod City and in Negros Occidental Province since January, this year.

The dengue death toll in the province climbed to 16 after the Department of Health (DOH) in Western Visayas confirmed two new fatalities.

Based on its Dengue Morbidity Week #31 covering January 1 to August 6, 2022, Negros Occidental province now has 3,345 total dengue cases after recording 235 new cases between July 31 to August 6.

Data also showed that cases continue to surge as compared to the same period last year with only 292 cases recorded.

In the province’s capital city of Bacolod, DOH-6 reported 56 new cases from July 31 to August 6.

Total cases in the city since January is now at 569, with fatalities still at eight.

For the whole Western Visayas, dengue cases is up 572 percent compared to last year with total cases now at 9,533, with 54 fatalities.

Last month, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson met with the 31 municipal and city health officers in the province to discuss the rising number of dengue cases in the province.

Lacson said the health officers were not remiss with their duties in the fight against dengue, as early as this year, including the awareness campaign.

The province is also bracing for an increase in dengue cases for at least another month due to the rainy conditions being experienced in the province.

In Bacolod, fogging operations had already been conducted in clustered barangays were there had been high dengue cases.

Among the villages that underwent fogging operations include Barangays Mansilingan, Mandalagan, and Tangub.

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.

The two mosquitoes known to spread dengue are the Aedes aegypti and the Aedes albopictus.* (DGB)