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[av_heading heading=’No widespread Zika transmission – DOH ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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ILOILO City – Though cases of Zika infection in this city increased, there is no widespread transmission of the mosquito-borne virus, stressed the Department of Health (DOH).
All the cases recovered, too, said Assistant Secretary Enrique Tayag during a visit here yesterday.
On Tuesday, DOH announced four more Zika cases in the city, bringing the total number to seven.
The four were from Barangay Benedicto, Jaro district (1), Barangay Santa Cruz, Arevalo district (2) and Barangay San Juan, Molo district (1).
The three previous cases were all from Barangay Benedicto.
In the whole country, DOH counted nine cases so far this year.
There is no cause for alarm; DOH has not monitored any Zika-related microcephaly (newborns with abnormally smaller heads) case so far, said Tayag.
Still, the assistant secretary stressed the importance of “interventions” to control the population of Aedes mosquitoes that spread Zika, dengue and chikungunya viruses.
He expressed confidence in the capability of the City Health Office (CHO) and regional DOH office to handle the situation.
Friday last week, the CHO and DOH started “inside residual spraying” (IRS) in Barangay Benedicto to kill mosquitoes.
Tayag said Iloilo City may become Zika-free by December.
Today, according to CHO chief Dr. Bernard Caspe, IRS will be conducted in 10 more barangays with the most number of dengue cases starting with Gran Plains Subdivision in Barangay MV Hechanova and Alta Tierra Village in Barangay Quintin Salas, both in Jaro.
The other barangays are Balabago, Sambag, Quintin Salas, and MH Del Pilar in Jaro; Bakhaw, Bolilao and Guzman-Jesena in Mandurriao district; Jereos in La Paz district, and Calaparan in Arevalo.
Caspe said they will also include barangays San Juan in Molo and Santa Cruz in Arevalo because of the Zika cases there.
The IRS must be coupled with the 4S strategy, said Tayag. The strategy involves destroying mosquito breeding places; using insect repellants and mosquito nets especially at day time; seeking early consultation for skin rashes and fever, joint pain or red eyes; and fogging when there is an impending outbreak./PN
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