Iloilo sees uptick in dengue cases; DOH urges cleanup
ILOILO CITY—Health officials are urging Ilonggos to step up cleanup efforts as dengue cases in Iloilo surge in just a month.
The Department of Health (DOH) Western Visayas Center for Health Development on Tuesday reported that it logged 1,703 cases from Jan. 1 to Feb. 15, with 292 new cases added between Feb. 9 and Feb. 15. The figure is 72 percent higher than the 988 cases recorded during the same period last year.
The affected age group was those between 1 and 10 years old, comprising 38 percent of cases, followed by those age 11 to 20, who accounted for 31 percent of cases.
Dr. Bea Camille Natalaray of the DOH regional office’s
infectious diseases section cited weather changes as the possible reason for the increase in dengue cases.
“There are times when it is raining, especially in the early morning or late afternoon. Mosquitoes thrive in stagnant waters which serve as their habitats,” she said.
The DOH, Natalaray said, has prepared for this situation and is continuing its interventions, including the reestablishment of “dengue fast lanes” in health facilities.
The department has prepositioned 23,690 dengue test kits allocated to provinces and cities as well as dengue vector control materials, including 3,600 bottles of larvicides; 1,104 bottles of adulticides (a type of insecticide used to kill adult mosquitoes) for fogging and misting; 4,000 sachets of adulticides for indoor residual spraying and 3,000 pieces of insecticide-treated nets.
‘Search, destroy’
The DOH also launched its “Alas Kwatro Kontra Mosquito” advocacy on Monday where health officials emphasized the importance of search and destroy activities in households and communities.
Natalaray called on families to search and destroy breeding sites of mosquitoes and on barangay officials to support fogging activities.
“If there are no mosquitoes, there is no dengue, so it is important that we search and destroy potential breeding sites of mosquitoes in our houses and communities,” she said.
“Also, we advocate for self-protection, [including] using mosquito repellents, light-colored clothes and long sleeves and pants. We also advocate for early consultation. If we have fever for two days, and we have signs and symptoms of dengue, it’s important that as early as two days we should consult with our rural health units,” she added.
Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral infection caused by the dengue virus, primarily transmitted through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes.
Symptoms include high fever, severe headaches, pain behind the eyes, joint and muscle pain, nausea and vomiting, fatigue and a skin rash.
In severe cases, the disease can progress to life-threatening conditions marked by severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, bleeding, blood in bodily excretions and breathing difficulties.
