DOH issues insecticide-laced anti-dengue ‘curtains’ in CAR

BAGUIO CITY -- The Department of Health in the Cordillera Administrative Region has distributed “curtains” treated with insecticides in areas with high incidence of dengue to avoid its spread.              “We have distributed rolls and rolls of treated curtain, volumes in high-risk areas with high cases. The central office’s augmentation for more long-lasting insecticide-laden nets has been also relayed,” Dr. Amelita Pangilinan, DOH-CAR acting regional director, told the Philippine News Agency on Monday.

The nets would last four to five years and must not be washed or it would lose its effectiveness by 20 percent, she said.

“Pagpagin lang (Just dust it off),” Pangilinan said.

With the installation of the treated nets on windows and doors, the mosquitoes would immediately die once it touches the net.

Pangilinan said mosquitos have changed their biting behavior and dengue-carrying mosquitos now bite any time of the day.

“Mosquitoes should be our number one enemies. They do not only cause dengue but also Zika, Japanese encephalitis, and chikungunya,” Pangilinan said.

She said the best way to rid of mosquitoes is to rid breeding sites, as the dengue virus has become a year-round illness.

“It used to be that there is a cyclical occurrence of dengue, but as early as January up to the last day of December there are cases and the most common denominator seen or the risk factor are the breeding sites of mosquitoes,” Pangilinan said. 

For schools, the DOH has written the Department of Education to allow the students not to use skirts but wear long pants for protection.

The regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit of the DOH reported that the region recorded 2,025 dengue cases from January 1 to June 1 this year, which is a 53 percent increase compared to the same period in 2018.

Benguet tops the number of cases with 441, a 66 percent increase from the 266 recorded in the province in 2018. There were also two deaths listed during the period.

Apayao comes second with 434 cases this year marking a 271 percent increase from the 177 incidences of dengue in 2018.

Apayao is the hardest hit by El Niño and residents stored water, which could become breeding grounds of mosquitoes.

Ifugao has 221 cases as against last year’s 37; Kalinga with 170 as against 304 in 2018; Mountain Province with 143 compared to last year’s 36: Abra, 131 versus the 165 last year and Baguio City has 101 cases lower than the 138 recorded last year.

Four deaths were recorded during the period -- two in Benguet, one in Mountain Province and another involving a patient from non-Cordillera province. In 2018, there were three deaths -- one each in Baguio and Benguet and one non-resident of Cordillera.

With a number of primary hospitals led by the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) operating in the region, several patients from nearby Region 1 seek medical intervention in the region bringing an additional 384 cases to the region’s statistics.

Austria also advised the public to be vigilant, especially this rainy season when water accumulates and mosquito breeding grounds can develop.

Alexander Baday, an entomologist of the DOH, earlier urged the public to follow the 4-S to prevent dengue -- “Search and Destroy, Self-Protection Measures, Seek Early Consultation and Say No to Indiscriminate Fogging”.