ILOILO City – The 10.32-square kilometer Boracay Island is made up of three barangays prone to dengue, according to the Department of Health (DOH) Region 6.
An entomological survey was recently conducted in barangays Balabag, Manoc-Manoc and Yapak.
It showed these villages to be “high risk of dengue”, said Dr. Maria Julia Villanueva, DOH-6 assistant regional director.
She bared the survey result during the recent Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council meeting in Boracay.
Dengue is caused by day-biting mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus that live and breed and clear, stagnant water.
Rowen Aguirre, executive assistant for Boracay affairs of the Municipality of Malay, Aklan which has administrative jurisdiction over the island, said DOH’s findings would be referred to the Municipal Health Office.
“Maintaining the cleanliness of surroundings is important. Nagadamo ang mosquitoes pag indi matinlo ang lugar,” said Aguirre.
Ongoing road construction projects may have contributed, too, to the increase in the number of mosquitoes in Boracay, he added.
Road construction sites gathered stagnant water and became ideal mosquito breeding grounds, said Aguirre.
“Pagnatapos na ang major construction padayunon ta pagtinlo sa isla, even sa backyards and unoccupied spaces. Wala sang may naga-gather nga tubig dira kun diin pwede ka-breed ang mga mosquitoes,” said Aguirre.
He was not sure, however, when the road projects would be completed.
“Mismo ang Department of Public Works and Highways indi man kahambal,” said Aguirre.
DOH-6 has been emphasizing the 4S strategy against dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases:
* search and destroy mosquito breeding places
* self-protection measures
* seek early consultation for fever lasting more than two days
* say “no” to indiscriminate fogging
Dengue symptoms, which usually begin four to six days after infection, include sudden, high fever, severe headaches, pain behind the eyes, severe joint and muscle pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, skin rash which appears two to five days after the onset of fever, and even mild bleeding (such a nose bleed, bleeding gums, or easy bruising)./PN
