CEBU CITY - Dengue cases in Central Visayas remains high, with the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) 7 reporting a 10 percent increase on its 28th morbidity week covering the period of January to July 10 this year.
Last year, RESU7 only recorded 2,225 dengue cases but this year, a total of 2,461 cases were recorded for the same period. However, the mortality rate is lesser this year with only 18 cases while last year, 26 deaths were recorded.
Meanwhile, this city continues to top the list with 546 cases and six deaths or 22.4 percent of the total recorded cases. Last year, Cebu City recorded 362 cases with 10 deaths for the same period.
The top ten list with the most number of cases are mostly cities in the province of Cebu headed by Talisay City with 132 cases and one death, followed by Danao City with 105 cases, Lapu-Lapu City with 102 cases, Toledo City with 101 cases, Naga City with 57 cases and Mandaue City with 55 cases, while the municipality of Asturias occupied the tenth spot with 52 cases and one death.
Other cities in Central Visayas that completed the list include Tagbilaran City in Bohol with 121 cases and Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental with 59 cases.
Most of the cases belonged to the 6 to 10 age group and 53 percent of the total victims are male.
Dr. Jocelyn Abellana, DoH7 Dengue Prevention Coordinator said that with the onset of the rainy reason, the increase of dengue cases especially in the month of August is being anticipated. The DoH7 official urged the public to continuously take simple precautions against dengue.
''We are urging the public to cover water containers to avoid possible breeding of dengue-carrying mosquitoes and regularly clean their area,'' said she underlined.
Aside from dengue which usually increase during the rainy season, Abellana also warned the public against malaria and water-borne diseases like cholera, malaria and typhoid fever
