BAGUIO CITY—The number of dengue fever cases recorded in the region increased threefold during the first 11 months of this year compared to the similar period last year, health authorities reported.
Amelita M. Pangilinan, regional director of the Cordillera office of the Department of Health, said that from January to November this year, there were a total of 9,858 dengue fever cases regionwide compared to the 2,478 cases recorded by the agency during the similar period last year.
The 298-percent increase should prompt the public to be careful of dengue-carrying mosquitoes that breed near containers of clear and stagnant water.
Mountain Province recorded the highest increase at 682 percent, with 688 cases recorded in the first 11 months of the year compared to 88 the previous period.
Kalinga, which registered 2,381 dengue cases this year compared to only 336 cases last year, came in second with a 609 percent increase.
Apayao recorded a 331 percent increase in the number of dengue fever cases with 986 this year compared to 229 last year. Baguio City, which documented a total of 1,433 cases this year compared to the 352 cases last year, registered a 307 percent increase in the all-weather illness.
Ifugao was able to report 750 dengue fever cases for the first 11 months of this year compared to the only 192 cases during the similar period last year which is equivalent to 291 percent increase.
Benguet reported a total of 1,890 dengue fever cases this year compared to the 526 cases last year which was equivalent to a 259 percent increase while Abra recorded the lowest increase at 64 percent tallying 970 cases this year compared to the 592 cases last year.
Pangilinan added that from four dengue-related deaths last year, fatalities attributed to the dreaded illness rose to 14 for the first eleven months of this year.
These increases have compelled health authorities to intensify their all-out campaign to inform the public on how they could avoid the disease.
Dengue fever is an acute febrile viral disease characterized by sudden onset of fever for two to seven days with intense headache, myalgia, arthralgia, retro-orbital pain, anorexia, nausea, vomiting and rash.