The municipality of Alicia may be lucky, but it may not be enough if it’s complacent of having zero dengue case, so far, until this writing based on the Provincial Health Office (PHO) update. It was, however, afflicted with a total of 23 cases including one death last year (2012). It is now urgent that concerned officials and townsfolk should not take the dreaded dengue sitting down but active and sustained efforts to combat the disease are necessary, said the PHO. Among the towns, Loon topped the updated list with a total of 107 cases during the period January 1-July 13, 2013. Tagbilaran City suffers 161 cases, including one death, said the PHO. Loon is followed by Talibon town with 67 cases; Dauis, 49; Jagna, 47; and Tubigon, 38. Other towns that have double digit cases include Antequera, 12; Bacalyon, 20; Bien-Unido, 14; Calape, 18; Carmen, 14; Cortes, 16; Guindulman, 13; Getafe, 20; Loay, 12; Maribojoc, 17; and Panglao, 33.

The rest of the 47 towns having single digit figures of Dengue cases include: Alburquerque, 8; Anda, 1; Balilihan, 4; Batuan, 8; Bilar, 5; Buenavista, 4; Catigbian, 9; Candijay, 2; Clarin, 8; Corella, 4; Dagohoy, 3; Danao, 4; Dimiao, 5; Duero, 4; Garcia-Hernandez, 6; Inabanga, 2; Lila, 6; Loboc, 4; Mabini, 1; Pilar, 8; Pres. Carlos P. Garcia, 4; Sagbayan, 5; San Isidro, 3; San Miguel, 3; SEvilla, 9; Sierra-Bullones, 7; Sikatuna, 1; Trinidad, 8; Ubay, 6; and Valencia, 5. Five (5) persons have already their lives due to Dengue this year based on the said update. They are from the towns of Batuan, Bilar, Clarin,Pres. Carlos Garcia and this city but their identities were not divulged. Dengue cases in the entire province of Bohol totaled 805 from January this year until lately, PHO said. This figure is much lower than 2,404 cases with 21 deaths in 2012.

The provincial government led by Gov. Edgar Chatto and PHO continues to call for concerted efforts to combat the disease by sustained clearing and cleaning of the stagnant water in containers that might be the breeding place of the mosquito-borne aedes aegypti mosquitoes. PHO led by Dr. REymoses Cabagnot said it is intensifying the awareness and preventive campaign against dengue and urged the populace to practice the 4S Kontra Dengue strategy: Search and Destroy, Seek early consultation, Self-protective measures and Say no to indiscriminate fogging. The practice of 4’oclock habit thru cleaning up the surroundings such as eliminating its habitat will continue. Emptying containers where mosquitos preferred to breed, such as coconut husks, bottles, old tires, tin cans, roof gutters, and even flower vases empty or dry, must be pursued everyday, said Cabagnot. Bohol posted a total of more than 2,700 in 2010 cases; 623 cases in 2009. The total of 2,102 cases in 2008 surpassed the 1,679 cases in 2007. Bohol experienced 231 cases and 3 deaths in 2006; 1,113 and 21 deaths in 2005; 283 and 5 deaths in 2004; 365 and 3 deaths in 2003; 289 and 2 deaths in 2002; 712 cases and 5 deaths in 2001; and 70 and zero deaths in 2000,based on the PHO ten-year data.

World Health Organization (WHO) offers facts about the disease: It is a mosquito-borne viral infection; Infection causes flu-like illness and occasionally develops into potentially lethal complication called sever dengue; the global incidence of dengue has grown dramatically in recent decades; about half of the world’s population is now at risk; Dengue is found in tropical and sub-tropical climates worldwide, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas; Severe dengue is a leading cause of serious illness and death among children in some Asian and Latin American countries; There is no prevention and control solely depends on effective vector control measures; and there is no specific treatment for dengue, sever dengue, but early detection and access to proper medical care lowers fatality rates below 1 percent. (RVO)