The number of dengue cases in the province rose in the first five months of 2016 prompting the Provincial Health Office (PHO)Â to urge Boholanos to be vigilant and take measures against the dreaded mosquito-borne disease.
Acccording to Dr. Reymoses Cabagnot of the PHO, six dengue deaths in five months from January to May this year have been reported while only five were tallied for the the entire 2015.
The fatalities of dengue were from Tagbilaran City, Inabanga, Duero, Ubay, and Bien Unido where two deaths caused by the disease were recorded.
A total of 743 dengue cases have been recorded so far in the first months of the year and the number is already nearing the total tally for 2015.
The top ten municipalities with dengue cases are Tubigon with 97, Talibon 55, Tagbilaran City 51, Loon 45, Dauis 41, Ubay 38, Inabanga 28, Duero 20, and Carmen and Jangna with 18 cases each.
Cabagnot is encouraging the public to take seriously the threat of dengue and keep in mind the “4S or search and destroy possible living and breeding places of mosquitoes, use special protective equipment such as mosquito repellant, seek early medication, and say ‘no’ to indiscriminate fogging.â€
The Department of Health had previously warned that indiscriminate fogging could cause mosquitoes to develop resistance to insecticide.
The PHO also noted that dengue cases involving men are higher since mosquitoes particularly aedes aegypti which can carry dengue prefer to bite men because of higher temperature blood and as male skin is often not moist unlike women. (with reports from Rey Tutas)