21 dead from dengue in Cordillera; 8,183 afflicted

DOH to public: Clean breeding sites

By Carlito Dar and Daniel Codamon

BAGUIO CITY – Dengue cases hare alarmingly risen in the Cordillera making Health officials urge the public to clean mosquito breeding sites especially open containers and roof gutters as well as plants that may have trapped rainwater.

With the sun out after days of gloomy weather, new mosquitoes will incubate in few days, they said.

Dept. of Health Cordillera assistant regional director Dr. Amelita Pangilinan   bared this in media forum saying from Jan. 1 to Sept. 10, there were 8,183 dengue cases including 21 deaths recorded in the region.

This was 25 percent increase compared to 6,522 cases recorded same period last year.

There is also clustering of cases noted in some areas in every province in Cordillera and in Baguio City, she added.

She urged the public to cooperate in anti-dengue campaigns such as 4S strategy (search and destroy mosquito breeding sites, self – protection measures, seek early consultation for fever lasting more than 2 days and saying no to indiscriminate fogging, aksyon barangay kontra dengue the 4’O Clock habit, among others.

“We are wiser than the mosquitoes and we can prevent dengue by cleaning stagnant water especially rainwater trapped in plants and other possible containers or areas in our surroundings,” said Pangilinan.  With the sun showing up, new mosquitoes will incubate in four to seven days, she added.

Aside from dengue, the Aedes Aegypti mosquito is also a carrier of the Zika virus as well as the Chikunggunya virus, so let us make sure that there are no possible mosquito breeding sites in our homes and surroundings, Pangilinan said.

She urged the public to boost their immune system by having enough sleep, eat more fruits and vegetables and drink plenty of water.

In the same forum, DOH Cordillera cited Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell – Ubial’s directive for more intensive mosquito control campaign with the first DOH confirmed case of locally transmitted Zika virus disease in Iloilo City last week. 

In Lagawe, Ifugao, the Provincial Health Office warned growing dengue cases in the province was alarming with the rainy season in.

Provincial Health officer Mary Josephine Dulawan said  increasing admission of suspected dengue patients at the Panopdopan District Hospital which is now being used temporarily as the Ifugao General Hospital pending the completion of the new Ifugao Tertiary Hospital in Lagawe was of grave concern .

 A 51 year man died of dengue, she said. 

 Dulawan urged the public to take preventive and precautionary measures against the disease since it has no cure. She said the best preventive measure was destruction of the breeding places of mosquitoes carrying the dengue virus by having clean surroundings, covering water containers that might serve as the breeding places of the mosquitoes, observing a healthful lifestyle and eating the proper nutritious foods.

 Dulawan cited need to consult a doctor for early detection and management of the disease if ever they experience flu-like symptoms manifesting dengue such as severe headache, migraine, chills, muscle and joint pains, extreme fatigue, bright red rashes, vomiting, diarrhea and the dropping of the blood platelet count.

Heeding the call, the Municipal Health Office of Tinoc and the rural health units assisted by the police conducted a clean-up drive and mosquito fogging operation at Barangay Poblacion to kill or knock-down any dengue carrying mosquitoes and their larvae.

The group also conducted information drive about the dengue disease. They also told the people of some home remedies for confronting and speeding up the healing process against dengue such as drinking 8-10 glasses of water each day, drinking coconut water, taking vitamin C and A, eating potassium rich food like sweet potatoes and bananas, protein rich vegetables like broccoli, beans, peas, kale and leafy vegetables.