Agusan del Sur recorded 2,018 dengue cases and 14 deaths from Jan. 1 to Oct. 1 due to dengue.
This record comes as the Provincial Health Office declared a province-wide outbreak on Sept. 29 following an evidence-based assessment of the rising cases of infections.
Provincial Health Officer Jacqueline Frances Momville told reporters during a media forum on Friday at the provincial capitol that the situation had reached red alert.
She noted that cases are exceeding the epidemic threshold.
‘This is a stern warning since those threatened by the dengue virus are from all ages,’ Momville said.
She explained that the outbreak declaration underwent several stages of assessment based on available evidence, with additional figures continuing to come in.
Dr. Agnes Cullantes, head of the Department of Health’s provincial office, said surveillance teams gathered data on dengue cases across the province’s 14 municipalities and Bayugan City.
Results come out after every seven days of data gathering.
Dr. Rosemaricris Perez, a medical officer at the D.O. Plaza Memorial Hospital, said two of the patients who died had underlying conditions: a pregnant woman and an elderly patient with a heart problem.
She also raised concern that many patients arrived at the hospital late.
Rosario recorded the highest number of dengue cases, with 543, followed by San Francisco with 271, Bayugan City with 229, Loreto with 204 and Bunawan with 180.
This information is according to the Provincial Health Office’s situationer dated Oct. 1.
Prosperidad, the provincial capital, recorded 114 cases, followed by La Paz with 80, Talacogon with 76, San Luis with 71, Esperanza with 68, Trento with 64, Veruela with 56, Santa Josefa with 37 and Sibagat with 25.
Rosario also had the province’s highest dengue attack rate, at 10 cases per 1,000 residents. Loreto followed with five cases per 1,000, while Bunawan had four.
San Francisco and La Paz each recorded an attack rate of three per 1,000 residents.