Baguio Dengue fever cases rise by 120 percent

Dengue fever cases in the city increased by one hundred twenty percent from January 1 to June 6, 2022 compared to the recorded number of cases during the same period last year that promoted health authorities to raise the alarm button to combat the occurrence of possible outbreak in the coming months with the onset of the rainy season.

City Health Services officer Dr. Rowena Galpo disclosed that for the said period, there were 216 dengue fever cases that were reported in the city compared to the 98 cases recorded during the same period last year.

However, she claimed that there were no dengue-related deaths that were registered for the present year compared to the 5 dengue-related deaths in the city last year.

Among the city’s district health centers, Atab recorded the highest number of dengue fever cases this year with 35 followed by city Camp with 33, Asin – 22 cases, Loakan – 19 cases, Engineers Hill – 15 cases, Irisan – 14 cases, Pinsao – 12 cases, Atok Trail – 11 cases, Quirino Hill and Lucban – 9 cases each, Scout Barrio – and Pacdal – 8 cases each, Mines view –7 cases, Quezon Hill – 6 cases and Aurora Hill and Campo Filipino – 4 cases each.

Based on the data made available by the City Health Services Office (CHSO) over the past 5 years, there were some 2,808 dengue fever cases that were recorded in 2016 where there were 7 deaths before dropping to only 503 cases in 2017 where there were 5 dengue-related deaths during the said year.

Further, dengue fever cases continued to drop to 444 cases in 2018 where the number of dengue-related deaths also dropped to only 3 cases but dengue cases started to increase in 2019 with 832 cases with 5 deaths in the said year.

On the other hand, dengue fever cases significantly decreased at the height of the Corona Virus Disease (COVID) 2019 pandemic in 2020 with only 175 cases and 2 deaths.

Last year, dengue fever cases jumped to a whooping 1,305 cases when the prevailing community quarantine restrictions were eased where there were 9 dengue-related deaths.

Galpo urged the residents in the different barangays to immediately seek medical attention when experiencing the signs and symptoms of dengue fever such as intermittent high fever for 2 to 7 days, nausea, among others and to sustain the practice of regular cleanup activities in and out of their houses, especially in getting rid of clear and stagnant water which is the breeding ground of dengue carrying mosquitoes. – Dexter A. See