Dengue watch on in 6 provinces

The Department of Health (DOH) has placed under monitoring certain areas in six provinces amid reports of an increase in dengue cases throughout the country this year.

Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit said 7,541 dengue cases have been reported to the DOH’s sentinel hospitals from Jan. 1 to Aug. 17, representing a 6.6-percent increase compared to last year’s figure.

"Dengue is a perennial problem in the country and it spares no one… To prevent dengue, we recommend the discarding of old tires, tin cans and bottles and cleansing of roof gutters and frequent replacement of water in flower bases to eliminate the breeding sites of dengue-causing mosquitoes," he said.

Dayrit said dengue is caused by bites of the Aedes aegypti mosquito which thrives in clear water.

The disease is prevalent in Annafuan East, Annafuan West, Caritan Centro, Cataggaman Viejo, Centro, San Gabriel and Ugac Norte in Tuguegarao City; Enrile and Maddarulog Norte in Cagayan; De la Paz in Antipolo City; Bakhaw, Mandurriao and Jibao-an, Pavia in Iloilo; and Handumanan in Bacolod City.

In the Cordillera Administrative Region, dengue is common in Cudog, Poblacion North, Poblacion West and Piwong Hingyon in Ifugao; Antamok and Tuding in Itogon, Benguet; Bakakeng, Camp 7 Loakan, DPS Compound and Holy Ghost, Lucban in Baguio City.