DOH: Dengue claims 5 in Bicol

LEGAZPI CITY — The Department of Health (DOH) in Bicol recorded five fatalities due to Dengue in the entire region from January 1 to March 2.

Of the five cases, three were from the province of Camarines Sur while the other two fatalities were from Sorsogon province.

Based on DOH monitoring, dengue cases in Bicol have reached 756 since the start of the year.

Cecil Pan, DOH Bicol vector-borne diseases program manager, said there is an increase of 43 percent from last year covering the same period with 539 cases.

Vector-borne diseases, like dengue, are illnesses that start with infection transmitted to humans and other animals by blood-feeding anthropods, such as mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas.

Records of Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit show Camarines Sur has the most number of cases with 425.

It is followed by Sorsogon with 110 cases. Albay is on the 3rd spot with 88 while Camarines Norte has 63 cases.

The island province of Masbate recorded 47 and 23 for Catanduanes.

To prevent becoming a victim of dengue, Pan reminded the public to observe and keep the surroundings clean at all times.

“Practice the ‘search and destroy’ in areas that might serve as breeding sites of mosquitoes,” she said./lzb