Dengue cases in Cebu Province have increased in recent months, but health officials said the rise has not reached the threshold for declaring a province-wide outbreak.
The Provincial Health Office reported 3,759 dengue cases and 21 deaths from January 1 to September 11, 2026. The province’s case fatality rate stood at 0.56 percent, below the dengue program target of keeping the rate under 1 percent.
Provincial health consultant Elisse Nicole Catalan said weekly cases began increasing around morbidity week 25 and reached a peak of 478 cases in week 33 in August. The number fell to 416 in week 34 and 292 in week 35, while the preliminary count for week 36 was 46 cases as of September 10. The latest figure remains subject to updates.
Catalan said the highest case counts during the August to September period were recorded in Medellin, Talisay City and Toledo City. She explained that the province’s assessment is based on weekly case patterns compared with historical thresholds rather than cumulative infections or year-on-year increases alone.
The current situation is therefore being described as elevated dengue transmission with localized hotspots rather than a province-wide outbreak. Earlier reports from the Provincial Health Office also said Cebu’s case numbers remained below the threshold used to declare an outbreak.
Health officials are nevertheless urging residents to strengthen dengue prevention efforts, particularly by eliminating stagnant water where mosquitoes can breed. The World Health Organization recommends regularly emptying and cleaning water containers, covering stored water and removing objects that can collect rainwater.
The Department of Health’s Central Visayas office has also intensified its prevention campaign as dengue cases rise across the region. Its “4Ts” campaign — Taob, Taktak, Tuyo at Takip — encourages households to overturn water-holding containers, remove stagnant water, keep surroundings dry and cover water storage containers.
Cebu’s provincial and district hospitals have maintained dengue fast lanes, round-the-clock laboratory services and supplies of diagnostic kits and intravenous fluids to accommodate patients. Officials are also reminding residents to seek medical attention early, particularly when fever or other dengue symptoms develop.
While the province has not declared an outbreak, health authorities continue to monitor the trend closely as dengue transmission remains elevated in several local areas.
