Metro Manila a dengue hotspot

Metro Manila, which accounts for the most number of dengue cases based on the latest record of the Department of Health, has been declared a dengue hotspot.



Health Secrertary Enrique Ona said the number of dengue cases in Metro Manila was listed at 9,229.



He said most number of cases were also found in Quezon City with 2,574, Manila 1,040, Caloocan, 1,104, Pasig, 804, and Valenzuela, 664.



Ona said an area is considered a hotspot when there are clustering of cases with increasing number in two consecutive weeks.



Hotspots were also declared in some areas in Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, and Benguet.



The Health chief also said dengue outbreaks were detected in Basco, Mahatao, Sabtang, Taal, Uyugan, and Itbayat in Batanes, and Dingalan in Aurora. Health authorities confirmed that the outbreaks were already contained.



Ona noted clustering of cases in some barangays in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Cagayan, isabela, Quirino, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, Rizal, Palawan, Albay, Camarines Sur, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Cebu, Misamis Occidental, and Misamis Oriental.



The same was true for Davao City, Davao Oriental, Cotabato City, General Santos City, Sarangani, South Cotabato, Abra, Baguio, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Surigao del Norte, and Metro Manila.



Clustering of cases is considered when there are three or more cases are detected in a barangay over four consecutive weeks.



Ona, however, noted that the latest report shows that cases from January to July 23 this year reached 38,876, which is 25.85 percent lower than the number recorded in the same



period last year [52,428] as outbreaks in the provinces of Batanes and Aurora were now contained.



He said the number of deaths reported, 226, was half of the reported deaths last year for the same time period.



He said most cases came from the National Capital Region [9,229], Central Luzon [6,365], the Calabarzon area [5,649], Ilocos Region [3,432], and Cagayan Valley [2,737].



Still, despite the in the number of dengue cases, Ona is urging the public and the local government units not to be complacent in the fight against the disease.



“Instead, our gains should encourage us to keep up the good work in combating dengue,” Ona said.



He called on the local governments, community leaders, and the public to step up efforts against dengue.

By Macon Ramos-Araneta