Dengue cases in Cebu City shoot up

Local

DENGUE cases in Cebu City have risen by 12.35 percent for the first seven months of the year.

With this, City Councilor David “Dave” Tumulak, chairman of the council's committee on health, on Thursday, July 30, urged the public to remain vigilant, saying clogged canals and stagnant water left by weeks of rain have contributed to the spread of dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

"From the continuous rains we have experienced this year, many drainage canals have stagnant water because they have not been cleaned or cleared of garbage. This obstructs the flow of water and becomes breeding sites for mosquitoes that carry dengue," Tumulak said.

Based on data from the Cebu City Health Department (CCHD), the city recorded 1,228 dengue cases and 10 deaths from January 1 to July 18, 2026.

The latest tally is 12.35 percent higher than the 1,093 cases and three deaths reported during the same period in 2025.

The city's case fatality rate currently stands at 0.81 percent.

Health records showed patients ranged from 2 months to 96 years old, with a median age of 12 years. Nearly half of all reported cases—498 or 40.55 percent—involved children aged 1 to 10 years, while males accounted for 661 cases, or 53.83 percent of total infections.

For the week of July 12 to 18, the city logged 17 new dengue cases. Although cases have begun to decline after reaching a high of 78 infections during Morbidity Week 26, health authorities said this year's overall trend remains above last year's levels.

The number of cases, however, has yet to breach the city's alert or epidemic thresholds.

The Department of Health's Central Visayas Center for Health Development continues to classify Cebu City's dengue situation as endemic. During the rainy and typhoon season, dengue is also temporarily treated as a Category I disease, requiring intensified monitoring and surveillance.

Guadalupe registered the highest number of dengue cases with 80, followed by Basak San Nicolas (64), Lahug (57), Labangon (53), Tisa (48), Mambaling (44), Kalunasan (40), Punta Princesa (37), Pasil (36), while Kamputhaw, Duljo, Quiot and Talamban recorded 34 cases each.

When measured by incidence rate, the most affected barangays were San Nicolas Central, Pasil, Santo Niño, Sawang Calero, Ermita, Sirao, Carreta, Kamagayan, San Antonio, and Sambag II.

The city's 10 fatalities were recorded during Morbidity Weeks 2, 4, 6, 9, 17 and 23.

Four deaths came from the west health district—two from Sawang Calero and one each from Duljo and Tisa. Three fatalities were recorded in the east district from Ermita, Sambag II and Suba, while one death each came from Kamputhaw in the central district and Mabolo and Pit-os in the north.

The patients were admitted to various hospitals in Cebu City before their deaths, with Cebu City Medical Center handling half of the fatal cases.

Tumulak appealed to residents to do their part in preventing dengue by eliminating stagnant water around their homes, using mosquito repellents or mosquito nets, and seeking immediate medical attention when symptoms such as fever develop.

He also called on barangay officials to work closely with the City Health Department in planning and implementing dengue control measures.

"Magtinabangay kita para dili mudaghan ang kaso sa dengue sa atong dakbayan," Tumulak said.

The City Health Department reminded the public to practice the Department of Health's 5S strategy against dengue: search and destroy mosquito breeding sites, secure self-protection through protective clothing and repellents, seek early consultation, support vector-control measures, and sustain hydration.(TGP)