Dengue downs 7 in Region 2
THE Department of Health (DoH) has confirmed seven deaths in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) due to dengue with an increase in cases by 9 percent this year compared to the previous year.
Jellico Bryan Cabatotan, DoH Region 2 senior health officer, noted that from January 2024 to July 20, the number of dengue cases in Cagayan Valley increased to 3,115, or 9 percent higher than last year's 2,861 cases recorded in the same period.
Cagayan Valley comprises the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino and the island province of Batanes.
The DoH said the province of Nueva Vizcaya topped the number of cases with 1,382, followed by Cagayan with 688, while Isabela registered 597; Quirino, 325; Santiago City, 119; and Batanes with four.
Of the seven confirmed dead due to dengue, four were recorded in Isabela, two in Cagayan and one in Nueva Vizcaya.
The Health Department has warned that the number of dengue cases may still increase in the region.
It said dengue virus is primarily transmitted from person-to-person through the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus mosquito.
Advertisement«Not only the breeding site is one of the most common modes of transmission but also the mobility of the students that the virus is transmitted from one person to another,» Cabatotan said.
In response to the number of increasing cases of the disease in the region, the DoH said there are dengue fast lanes in hospitals that give priority to those positive or have symptoms of said disease.
Meanwhile, the DoH launched the Urgent Care and Ambulatory Service or Bucas Center in Mallig town in Isabela and Purok Kalusugan to improve and speed up public health services.
The department said this program also aims to deliver free health services to individuals who are in dire need of faster consultations and health checkups.
