The Bacolod City government has stepped up its dengue awareness and prevention drive with the expected increase in cases during the rainy season, Dr. Grace Tan, chief of the City Health Office Environment Sanitation Division, said Sunday, July 10.
Bacolod had 302 dengue cases and 6 deaths as of July 2, which are 196 percent higher than last year, a Bacolod City Epidemiological Surveillance Unit (BCESU) report showed.
The fatalities were an 11-year-old male from Singcang, 20-year-old female from Pahanocoy, 19-year-old male from Sum-ag, 75-year-old male from Tangub, and a 13-year-old female and 7-year-old female from Mansilingan.
The age range of those hit by dengue in Bacolod City was from 3 months old to 86 years old, the BCESU said.
The Bacolod barangays with the highest number of dengue cases are Tangub – 27, Mansilingan – 27, Singcang- 23, Estefania – 22, Sum ag – 21, Taculing – 20, Alijis- 20, Mandalagan – 19, Villamonte -17, Handumanan- 15 and Granada – 15.
The dengue cases increased with the rains because of the increase of mosquitoes in plants, garbage and areas with stagnant water, the BCESU said.
Dengue can be avoided through the cleaning of surroundings and the removal of stagnant water, it said.
An advocacy drive to increase dengue awareness and prevention is being conducted through noise caravans in the barangays, distribution of information flyers and, clean up drives in coordination with the barangays, the BCESU report said.*