Samar chikungunya cases spike past 250

TACLOBAN CITY — Chikungunya cases continue to rise in Samar province, with health officials recording 259 cases of the mosquito-borne viral illness across three municipalities.

Data from the Samar Provincial Health Office released through 11 July shows the infections are concentrated in Basey with 159 cases, Gandara with 97 cases, and Paranas with three cases. No deaths have been reported.

The bulk of the outbreak is localized within two villages — Barangay Mabini in Basey has logged 128 cases, while Barangay Ngoso in Gandara has recorded 51 cases.

A monthly breakdown from health authorities shows a steep climb in recent weeks. Nine cases were recorded in February and six in May, before spiking to 190 cases in June. Another 54 cases were logged during the first 11 days of July.

Despite the recent surge, provincial health officials noted that the attack rates remain relatively low, standing at 28 per 100,000 people in Basey and 27 per 100,000 people in Gandara.

The virus has affected all age groups, though a higher occurrence has been observed among individuals ages 10 to 19 and those 60 and older.

Meantime, the provincial health office has issued a health advisory urging households to eliminate mosquito breeding sites by cleaning their surroundings, draining stagnant water, and disposing of waste properly.

Officials are also calling on local villages to coordinate community-wide cleanup campaigns.

“A clean environment and community cooperation remain our strongest protection against mosquito-borne diseases,” the agency said in a statement.

Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted to humans through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes, the same species responsible for spreading dengue and Zika. Symptoms typically include the sudden onset of a fever accompanied by severe joint pain that can last from a few days to several weeks.