THE Department of Health (DOH) said Central Visayas is among the five regions in the country that recorded high dengue cases, exceeding the epidemic threshold.
In another development, the DOH has declared for the first time a national dengue alert on Monday, July 15, 2019.
The declaration was made as the number of dengue cases across the country from Jan. 1 until June 29 this year reached 106,630, an 85 percent increase from the 57,564 cases reported in the same period in 2018.
However, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III clarified that the number of cases does not mean there is already a national epidemic. The national dengue alert’s aim, he said, is to make a large portion of the populace aware of dengue.
The DOH reported that Western Visayas has the most dengue cases with 13,164. The rest of the list include Calabarzon, 11,474; Central Visayas, 9,199; Soccsksargen, 9,107; and Northern Mindanao, 8,739.
These regions surpassed the epidemic threshold, which refers to the “level of occurrence of disease above which an urgent response is required. The threshold is specific to each disease and depends on the infectiousness, other determinants of transmission and local endemicity levels,” according to the DOH’s website.
The provinces of Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor are part of Central Visayas.
Despite the dengue cases surpassing the epidemic threshold, Jaime Bernadas, the DOH director in Central Visayas, said there is no reason to panic. The cases, he said, are now on a downward trend, but he did not provide figures.
“There are areas where the cases are increasing. But not in Region 7 because (the cases) have already plateaued and decreased.... Because of the rainy season, (we are) still vigilant for new strains. The dengue virus has four different strains and their occurrence is seasonal, one or two strains at a time,” Bernadas said in mixed Cebuanao and English.
In April 2019, the DOH ranked Central Visayas number one among the country’s 17 regions as having the most dengue cases in the first quarter. The region currently ranks third in the list.
Contrary to the DOH central office’s figures, the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit 7 recorded only 9,149 dengue cases and 60 deaths in Central Visayas from Jan. 1 until July 6 this year. This is an increase of 159 percent from the 3,534 cases and 23 deaths recorded in the same period in 2018.
In Cebu Province, the urban centers recorded most of the dengue cases: Cebu City, 1,256 cases and nine deaths; Lapu-Lapu City, 609 cases and one death; and Mandaue City, 411 cases and three deaths.
“Dengue alert is just to highlight anti-dengue activities, prevention and control as in 4S and the barangay dengue brigades as well as Rural Health Unit preparedness and hospital dengue fast lanes,” Bernadas said.
The DOH personnel in Central Visayas had responded to dengue outbreaks in different parts of the region—Bantayan, Madridejos, Santa Fe and Dalaguete in Cebu; Talibon, Buenavista and Tubigon in Bohol; and Santa Catalina and Basay in Negros Oriental.
The local government unit can declare a dengue outbreak upon the DOH’s recommendation. (from HBL of SuperBalita Cebu/KAL)