BACOLOD City – The town of Murcia in Negros Occidental has been placed under a state of calamity due to surge in dengue cases.
Provincial Health Office (PHO) head Dr. Ernell Tumimbang said cases in the town surpassed the epidemic threshold.
This prompted town Mayor Gerry Rojas to order such declaration, added Tumimbang.
From Jan. 1 to July 13, PHO’s data showed dengue cases in the town now reached 147 with one death.
According to Tumimbang, these figures are 360 percent higher compared to last year in the same period.
“Murcia is the first local government unit to declare a dengue outbreak in the province,” Tumimbang noted.
The highest cases of dengue in the town are in Barangay Minoyan, he said.
Tumimbang also said PHO already sent a monitoring team to assist the Municipal Health Office in battling the deadly mosquito-borne disease.
He also reminded everyone to maintain cleanliness and destroy all possible breeding grounds of mosquitoes that carry the dengue virus.
Earlier this week, dengue cases in the province have further climbed to 4,230.
PHO reported 27 dengue-related deaths this year. The fatality rate, however, is 10 percent lower compared to last year with 30 recorded deaths./PN