CEBU CITY — The Department of Health-Central Visayas (DOH 7) has warned that dengue cases could increase this year after it recorded more than a thousand of dengue cases in the first quarter of the year.

The DOH 7 said that as of March 26, a total of 1,468 dengue cases with 18 mortalities have been recorded in the region.

In 2021, the DOH 7 said there were only a total of 662 dengue cases with three deaths.

Compared to last year, it (current number of dengue cases) is 121 percent higher, said Dr. Ronald Jarvik Buscato, dengue program coordinator of DOH-7.

Buscato explained that dengue cases are expected to rise further during rainy season

We are still in the warm or dry season. It is expected that in the dry season, the life span of mosquitoes is shorter and the chances to reproduce are lesser. So much more if we enter the rainy or wet season, thats why were expecting an increase this year, said Buscato.

DOH 7 said there were fewer dengue cases recorded in 2021 because of the Covid-19 restrictions.

Since most were at home due to the Covid-19 restrictions, homeowners had the time to clean their surroundings.

Movement were also limited that may have prevented most from going to areas with dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

One of the factors that we constantly remind ourselves of is to make sure that our surroundings, especially our homes, have no areas where mosquitoes can breed, said Buscato.