By CESAR JOLITO III

Dengue cases in Negros Occidental have risen sharply this year, with eight fatalities recorded and thousands infected, according to the Provincial Health Office (PHO).

From January 1 to August 2, the PHO logged 3,813 dengue cases — up by 62.46 percent compared to the 2,347 cases during the same period in 2024.

Patients range in age from six months to 94 years, with the 11 to 20 age group accounting for the most infections.

Ten of the province’s 31 local government units are battling dengue outbreaks, with Bago City posting the highest number at 898 cases.

This is followed by La Carlota City (with 382 cases), Kabankalan City (352), San Carlos City (196), Cauayan town (148), Isabela town (147), Silay City (144), Hinigaran town (127), La Castellana town (104), and Pontevedra town (100).

Health officials reported that the eight deaths include victims as young as nine and as old as 49.

The first fatality was recorded in January, involving an 18-year-old man from Isabela.

Other deaths include a 22-year-old man from Murcia town, a 13-year-old boy from San Carlos, a 17-year-old girl from Ilog town, a nine-year-old girl from Silay, a 16-year-old boy from Manapla town, and a 49-year-old woman from Bago City in April.

Dengue is spread by the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, and causes a severe flu-like illness that can sometimes be fatal.

One of the most common symptoms of dengue is a sudden high-grade fever that may reach approximately 40 degrees Celsius, the Department of Health (DOH) said.

Symptoms start four to 10 days after exposure to a mosquito bite, with most cases getting better in one to two weeks.

The DOH said that once the fever subsides after four or five days, warning signs will appear — bleeding gums, rashes and color changes in the stool./CJ, WDJ