Bulacan’s dengue cases soar
CITY OF MALOLOS—Bulacan has recorded six dengue-related deaths, as the number of infections continues to rise, with nearly one-third of the province’s villages reporting cases since the start of this year.
The Bulacan Provincial Health Office (PHO) Provincial Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (Pesu) reported on Friday that the fatalities were between 3 and 56 years old.
From Jan. 1 to March 1, the province logged 4,114 dengue cases, a 272-percent increase compared to the 1,107 cases recorded during the same period in 2024.
In the past week alone, dengue cases rose by 504, up from 3,610 reported between Jan. 1 and Feb. 22.
According to Dr. Edwin Tecson, head of the PHO, at least 180 out of Bulacan’s 572 barangays across 20 towns and four cities have reported “clustering” of dengue cases—areas where the mosquito-borne disease have occurred continuously for four weeks.
Rising trend
The City of San Jose del Monte led with 448 cases, followed by Santa Maria town with 416, Marilao with 300, and the City of Meycauayan with 296.
While dengue affects individuals across all age groups, 22 percent of reported cases involve children aged 10-14, according to the PHO.
Dengue is a viral illness transmitted to humans through the bites of infected female Aedes mosquitoes. Symptoms typically appear within 7 to 12 days after being bitten.
The rising trend extends across Central Luzon, where the Department of Health (DOH) regional office reported 9,058 cases from Jan. 1 to Feb. 22, a 236-percent increase from the 2,498 cases recorded during the same period last year.
Health officials continued to urge residents to clean their surroundings, use mosquito repellents, seek medical attention when symptoms appear and take advantage of the “dengue fast lanes” established in DOH-affiliated hospitals.
Gov. Daniel Fernando has ordered the activation of dengue fast lanes in Bulacan Medical Center and six other provincial government-run hospitals. These specialized lanes facilitate early detection, prompt treatment and active management of dengue cases.
Local health workers were also deployed by the PHO to conduct misting operations, which involve spraying insecticides in areas where mosquitoes breed and live, in different areas in the province, particularly in schools grounds and classrooms.
