Dengue outbreak declared in Agusan del Sur
SAN FRANCISCO, AGUSAN DEL SUR—Health authorities in Agusan del Sur have declared a dengue outbreak after the number of reported cases in the province reached 674 in just over seven months this year.
In a public advisory on Tuesday, the Provincial Health Office (PHO) said the province is “experiencing an increasing burden of dengue, with rising cases, hospitalizations, severe cases, and reported deaths.”
It ordered intensified surveillance, community mobilization and health facility-preparedness to combat the surge of the mosquito-borne disease.
Health authorities said they will release updated statistics soon. But government reports gathered by the Inquirer showed that from only 206 cases during the first half of the year, the count climbed to 674 as of Aug. 8, or an increase of 227 percent in five weeks. That means about 12 new infections every day.
Monitoring
Owing to the rising dengue cases, the PHO intensified its monitoring and conducted mosquito-control measures across the province.
Dr. Jacqueline Frances Momville, provincial health officer, advise health facilities in the province to “activate their dengue surge capacity plans, strengthen referral mechanisms, and activate or reactivate ‘Dengue Fast Lanes.’”
She also asked these facilities to “appropriate clinical pathways for timely patient assessment and management.”
Regionwide, the Department of Health in Caraga recorded 2,303 cases as of Aug. 8, which was 66 percent lower than the same period in 2025.
The 674 cases in Agusan del Sur were the highest recorded among Caraga’s five provinces during the period.
The provincial outbreak declaration has been accompanied by intensified field surveillance.
On Sept. 23, the PHO, in coordination with the Rosario Primary Care Facility, conducted entomological case surveillance within a 300-meter radius of identified dengue hot spot areas in the villages of Sta. Cruz and Bayugan 3 in Rosario town.
The activity focused on identifying breeding sites of mosquitoes and strengthening community-based measures to prevent further transmission.
The PHO reminded residents to search and destroy mosquito breeding sites, practice self-protection against insect bites, seek early consultation when signs and symptoms of dengue occur, and support fogging operations in identified hot spot areas.
