INQUIRER FILES
BACOLOD CITY 鈥� Dengue cases in Negros Occidental have increased by 296.83 percent with two recorded deaths in the first 18 days of 2025.
Provincial Health Officer Girlie Pinongan said there were 250 reported dengue cases from Jan. 1 to 18, an increase of 187 cases compared to 63 over the same period last year.
She said the age group with the most number of dengue cases were from 11 to 20 years old.
Bago City has the highest number of dengue cases in January at 58, followed by San Carlos City with 20 cases, Kabankalan City 鈥� 19, Pulupandan 鈥� 15, Silay City 鈥� 13, Valladolid 鈥� with 11, and La Carlota City 鈥� 10.
In 2024, Negros Occidental had 6,799 dengue cases, which were 354.48 percent more than in 2023, Pinongan said.
There were also 22 deaths due to dengue in 2024.
Pinongan said government and private hospitals and rural health units were full last year because of the rise in dengue patients.
Additional beds and wards had to be set up and the provincial government needed to open dengue fast lanes in all its health facilities.
To avoid another surge in dengue cases, Pinongan advised persons with symptoms of the mosquito-borne ailment to seek medical help at their nearest health facilities immediately.
She also stressed the need for cleanup drives to remove breeding places of mosquitoes that are dengue carriers.
The Department of Health reminded the public earlier to intensify dengue control measures, emphasizing the need to search and destroy mosquito breeding sites, secure self-protection, seek early consultation, and support fogging in hotspot areas.
Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral infection caused by the dengue virus, primarily transmitted through the bites of infected Aedes mosquitoes.
Symptoms include high fever, severe headaches, pain behind the eyes, joint and muscle pain, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, and skin rash.
In severe cases, the disease can progress to life-threatening conditions marked by severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, bleeding, blood in bodily excretions, and breathing difficulties.
READ: Dengue-related deaths reach 15 in Negros Occidental 鈥� health office