DENGUE cases in Bacolod City have increased by 103.7 percent during the first five months of 2022 compared to the same period last year, the City Health Office (CHO) reported.
CHO records showed that from January to May 28, 2022, Bacolod City had a total of 165 dengue cases with four fatalities.
This is higher than the 81 cases and two deaths for the same period last year.
Of 165 dengue cases, Barangays Singcang-Airport and Estefania have the highest number of cases with 18 each.
They were followed by Barangay Tangub with 17; Barangays Mansilingan and Mandalagan, 12 each; Barangay Granada, 11; Barangays Alijis and Sum-ag, 10 each; Barangay Taculing, seven; and Barangays Banago and Villamonte with six each.
Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease characterized by high fever accompanied by severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pains, nausea, vomiting, swollen glands and rashes.
Dr. Grace Tan, head of CHO Environment Sanitation Division, said the City Government is now conducting fogging or indoor residual spraying in areas with clustered cases.
Tan said the sanitation inspectors were also coordinating with barangay officials regarding the possible measures on mosquito population control.
“We were also distributing larvicides to health centers for application to stagnant water with no immediate and sustainable solution,” she added.
Tan noted that the dengue fast lane has been activated in all health centers, reiterating that the public should practice the “4S” program of the Department of Health.
The 4S means “Search and destroy” mosquito-breeding sites, practice “Self-protection measures” such as wearing of long pants and long sleeved shirts, and daily use of mosquito repellent), “Seek early consultation,” and “Support fogging/spraying” only in hotspot areas where increase in cases is registered for two consecutive weeks to prevent an impending outbreak.
Research showed that two most prominent species of mosquitoes that transmit viruses are Aedes aegypti in enclosed areas and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes that stay in open spaces.