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ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/14 April) – The number of dengue cases in the city went down by over 50% during the first quarter this year compared to the same period last year, an official said.
Dr. Rodelin Agbulos, City Health Officer, said Tuesday that his office recorded a total of 347 dengue cases in the first quarter of this year, or 357 cases less than that for the same period in 2014.
Agbulos said last year’s first quarter dengue cases reached 704.
He said January had the highest number of cases with 172, followed by February with 131 cases and March with 44 cases.
For the same period last year, dengue occurrence was also highest in January with 304 cases. February had 235 cases and March 165 cases.
Despite the decrease in number, Agbulos said the CHO personnel are on their toes in monitoring cases and implementing preventive measures, foremost of which is constant information drive.
He advised residents to properly cover the containers of stored water to deny dengue-carrier mosquitoes of breeding places in the light of the water rationing brought about by the long dry spell.
He also advised the residents to maintain a clean surrounding as cleanliness is one of the effective measures against dengue.
But the official warned a likely increase in incidences of coughs and fever with the hot and humid summer. (MindaNews)