ILOILO CITY – The Department of Health-6 said 42 people have died from the mosquito-borne disease dengue in Western Visayas region in eight months.
A FOGGING operation is conducted in Capiz as the province battles a dengue outbreak. (Capiz Provincial Government Communications Group)
The agency recorded 11 new dengue deaths from August 17 to 24 and 18,056 total cases from January to August 24.
Iloilo province has 7,020 dengue cases and 20 fatalities.
Negros Occidental province also had 20 dengue deaths, five in Capiz province, four here, and two in Aklan province.
The provinces of Antique and Guimaras and Bacolod City have one dengue deaths each.
Negros Occidental has the second highest number of dengue cases with 2,864, followed by Aklan with 1,919; 1,828 in Capiz, 1,446 in Guimaras, 1,012 in Antique, 1,118 in this city, and 849 cases in Bacolod City.
Dr. Bea Camille Fillaro-Natalaray, medical coordinator for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, said that on and off rain since July may have contributed to the rise of cases. Stagnant water would likely create breeding grounds for dengue-carrying mosquitoes, she said.
Natalaray urged local government units (LGUs) to beef up search and destroy activities against breeding grounds to curb the number of dengue cases and deaths.