THE Department of Health is bracing for a “difficult year” in the fight against dengue, noting a 141-percent increase in the number of dengue cases in Metro Manila alone in the first two weeks of January.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III yesterday disclosed that there were 380 dengue cases listed at the government-run San Lazaro Hospital in Sta. Cruz, Manila from Jan. 1 to 12. There were only 158 cases in Metro Manila and nearby provinces listed for the same period last year.
“The occurrence and spread of dengue are not only confined to the wet and rainy months of the year anymore because in some parts of the country, rain comes even during the dry season and summer time. Hence, the possibility of having more [dengue-carrying mosquito] breeding grounds than the usual is high and very likely. And we all know what could happen next: the inevitable increase of dengue cases,” Duque warned.
Records showed that the highest number of cases of this viral disease admitted at San Lazaro Hospital came from Manila with 96; 51 cases were reported in Caloocan; and 29 cases were from Quezon city.
The other cases came from Parañaque with 25, Pasay City with 23, Taguig with 16, and Malabon and Valenzuela, with 15 dengue cases each.