Dengue death toll already climbed to eight with the cases rising to around a thousand up to the middle of August.
The Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) of the Department of Health (DOH)-7 attributed the continued rise of dengue cases to climate change.
The RESU recorded an increase by 29.45 percent in this year’s dengue cases compared to the same period last year.
From January to July this year, within the first 226 days of 2016, the RESU already recorded, 1,156 cases of dengue in entire Bohol.
Eight of the dengue patients died from January up to the last monitoring day this month.
In last year’s statistics, dengue cases in Bohol reached 893 where five of the patients died in the same period.
Bien Unido topped this time in the record with four dengue deaths.
One death from dengue had been recorded in each of Inabanga, Ubay, Duero and Tagbilaran City areas.
In the number of cases, Tagbilaran topped the record with 132; followed by Tubigon with 119 cases; then Ubay with 92 cases; Talibon, 87; Loon, 65; Carmen, 60; Dauis, 52; Valencia, 50; Bien Unido, 42; and Inabanga, 36.
Sagbayan, this time, is already out of the top 10 areas in terms of number of dengue cases.
Last year, Sagbayan topped the record with 142 cases with one death.
Tagbilaran City ranked 2nd last year with 110 cases; followed Carmen and Jagna with 46 cases each; then Inabanga with 38; Calape, 36; Dauis, 28, with  one death; Garcia Hernandez, 28, Danao, 26; and Guindulman, 25.
In this year’s monitoring, the RESU noted that most of the dengue patients were in the age brackets of 1-5 years old and 11-15 years old.
Fritzie Olaguer, Provincial Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit coordinator of the Provincial Health Office, noted that the dengue cases in Bien Unido can be attributed to the practice of storing water in the light of the drought and decreased rainfall.
Alarmed of the continued rise of dengue cases, the PHO called on the local government units to continue disseminating information on the prevention of the spread of dengue virus, and by conducting dengue brigades in the barangays.
Schools can also counterpart in the campaign by conducting dengue brigades in campuses.
The PHO also called on the hospitals to provide fast lanes for dengue patients to be able to attend to the appropriate medical intervention promptly.
Olaguer reiterated the call on the public to observe the 4S approach recommended by the DOH wherein the 4S stands forSearch and Destroy (breeding grounds of mosquitoes); Self-Protection measures such use of insect repellants or mosquito nets or wearing of long sleeves to protect skin from mosquito bites; Seek early medication; and Say “No†to indiscriminate fogging.