The Department of Health (DOH) reported on Tuesday increases in dengue cases in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), with Zamboanga City surpassing the epidemic threshold.
DOH spokesperson Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, in a radio interview, said they were closely monitoring the developments in the affected areas with a view to preventing further spread of the disease.
“We are seeing an increase in dengue cases in Region 2, Region 9, and CAR. There is also a slight increase in the BARMM area which we are closely monitoring,” Vergeire said.
Vergeire said the DOH noticed last week a rise in dengue infections in the Zamboanga Peninsula, Cagayan Valley, Western Visayas, and Davao region.
She pointed out however, that this year’s dengue incidence was “significantly lower” compared to the same period last year.
Health authorities declared earlier a dengue outbreak in Zamboanga City with 893 cases, including 11 deaths, from January 1 to April 2.
According to the Zamboanga City government, 85 of such cases were recorded for morbidity weak 13, representing a hefty rise of 963 percent from the same period in 2021.
Vergeire said the DOH has activated fast lanes in hospitals even as coordination with local concerned government were being done pertaining the spread of the disease.
She advised residents of the affected areas to take precautionary measures to combat the disease, notably keeping their surroundings clean all the time, and doing away with stagnant water where the dengue-carrying mosquitoes breed.
Vergeire also encouraged the people to follow the 4S rules: search and destroy mosquito-breeding sites; self-protection measures; seek early consultation of symptoms; and support spraying or fogging to prevent further outbreaks.