LEGAZPI CITY –– The Department of Health (DOH) in Bicol has recorded a 212-percent increase in dengue cases last year.
From 3,550 cases in 2018, the number of cases reached 11,092 in 2019, said a report from Ma. Cecilia CV Pan, coordinator of the Public Health Preparedness and Response Unit of DOH-Bicol.
Eighty-seven persons died of dengue last year, while 36 died in 2018.
Most of the cases were recorded in Camarines Sur with 4,651; Sorsogon, with 2,183; Albay, 1,577; and Catanduanes, 1,041.
There were also 857 dengue cases in Camarines Norte and 752 in Masbate.
Thirty-one persons from other regions, who showed signs of dengue, also consulted health personnel in clinics and hospitals in Bicol.
The health department has stressed the importance of using the 4S Strategy to eliminate breeding places of Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes.
The 4S strategy involves search and destroy, self-protection measures, seeking early consultation, and supporting fogging and spraying in hotspot places.