BY: REY ANTHONY H. CHIU
BOHOL, July 5 (PIA) –If the dengue affectation data were analyzed, places where there is a huge concentration of people tend to have more dengue cases than sparsely populated towns.
In the list of Bohol’s top dengue cases in the first six months of 2014, Tagbilaran City (population 98,792) tops with 65 cases as reported by health authorities, and followed by Jagna with 27 cases, according to the Provincial Health Office (PHO).
Populated Guindulman (31,789) and Loon (42, 800) ranks third, with 18 cases each; while small town Cortes (15,294) and northeastern population dense Talibon (61,373) pick fourth with 16 dengue cases.
Cortes town center however is about 10 kilometers from Tagbilaran, but has barangays which are adjacent to the city.
Another populous town Carmen (43,579) had 15 dengue cases, ranking fifth along with Duero (17,580) who had similar number of cases.
Sixth in most number of cases is Batuan (population: 12,421) with 12 cases while Garcia Hernandez (23,038) takes the seventh spot with 11 cases.
Dauis (39,448), a town some three kilometers away from Tagbilaran is eighth with 10 cases while Panglao (28,603) which had 9 is close ninth.
Trinidad (38, 828) town occupies tenth place with 7 cases.
Dengue program coordinator and focal person at the Provincial Health Office has said dengue this year may have behaved calmly considering that in the first six months, Bohol suffered a single casualty.
One dengue patient reportedly died in Bilar during the first six months of the year where Bohol recorded 350 cases.
Nurse Teresita Sarigumba hinted that the dengue behavior may have something to do with the noted cycle of dengue affectation which health authorities have loosely established.
She also pointed out that the intervention which Gov. Edgar Chatto did in issuing policies and engaging barangay officials against dengue may have also largely contributed to the reduced cases noted here.
Gov. Chatto issued a memorandum circular and an executive order mandating local government officials to involve themselves in the fight against dengue.
The Chatto directive also asked local governments to conduct the basic 4S in Bohol’s coordinated fight against the disease spread by mosquitoes aedes aegypti. (mbcn/PIA7-Bohol)