BAGUIO CITY: The Department of Health (DOH) reminds the public to remain vigilant and continue to seek and clean possible dengue-mosquito breeding sites even with the absence of rain.

Ursula Segundo, entomologist at the DOH-Cordillera, said that even with no rain, dengue remains a threat especially to children.

She said that from January up to October 13, the DOH-CAR (Cordillera Autonomous Region) dengue reporting unit has recorded 4,487 cases and 12 dengue death region wide, which shows a 1 percent increase compared to the 4,441 recorded in the same period last year. The data include about 500 dengue cases in the last month.

Per province, Kalinga posted the highest cases with 1,326, followed by Benguet province with 771, Ifugao province with 697, Baguio City with 538, Mountain Province with 376, Abra province with 337 and Apayao province with 244. There were also 198 dengue cases from outside Cordillera but sought treatment in hospitals in the region.

Segundo said that increase in cases were also noted in Apayao by 85 percent, Baguio City by13 percent, Benguet by 43 percent and Kalinga by 1 percent, while decrease in cases were noted in Abra by 12 percent, Ifugao by 33 percent and the Mt. Province by 37 percent.

She reminded the public to not be complacent and continuously practice the 4S campaign against Dengue, especially the Seek and Destroy (possible dengue breeding sites), as she stressed that even without the rain, dengue mosquito can still breed on stagnant water and in surrounding areas that are left un-cleaned.

Aside from the 4S campaign, the Health Department is also advocating the ABKD or the Aksyon Barangay Kontra Dengue—a regular community clean-up drive against dengue down at the barangay level.

Segundo also said that as nine of the dengue death cases in the region involved those 18 years old and below, the DOH in partnership with the Department of Education also now bringing the dengue-free campaign to the various public elementary and secondary schools in the region.