ILOILO – Anticipating a surge in dengue cases, the provincial government will be placing the whole Iloilo under Alert Level 5 and include “social distancing” in its “4S” strategy to combat the spread of this mosquito-borne viral disease.
This year is the third year of a three-year cycle of dengue outbreaks in Iloilo. The Provincial Health Office (PHO) warned of spikes in cases that, in 2019, resulted to hospitals bursting at the seams with patients.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. said on Thursday he would be issuing an order on dengue Alert Level 5 “within 48 hours”.
An increase in dengue cases could further strain hospitals currently grappling with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.
From Jan. 1 to 29, the province recorded 29 dengue cases, including two deaths, data from the PHO showed.
In 2021 for the same period, the PHO recorded 40 cases with no deaths while in 2020 for the same period, there were 151 cases, including 49 deaths.
The now “5S” strategy that Defensor wants implemented down to the barangay level is the following:
* “search and destroy” the breeding places of mosquitoes
* “self-protection” from mosquito bites
* “seek early consultation” when signs and symptoms of dengue occur
* “say yes to fogging” as a last resort when there is a looming outbreak
* social distancing
“We are under COVID-19 Alert Level 3. In whatever we do, we add another component, social distancing; 4S plus one is five,” said Defensor.
He appealed for the cooperation of mayors, village leaders, the private sector, and national government agencies.
“We want to start preparing for dengue together with our mayors. Looking back three years ago, the outbreak was gradual, beginning in the first quarter. It started to really surge by July 2019,” said Defensor.
That year, Iloilo recorded a total of 22,089 dengue cases with 78 deaths.
In 2020, the province had 1,386 cases with 694 deaths. Last year, there were 481 cases with one death.
According to the World Health Organization, individuals should suspect dengue when a high fever (40 degrees centigrade) is accompanied by two of the following symptoms: severe headache, pain behind the eyes, nausea / vomiting, swollen glands, muscle and joint pains, and rashes.
For severe dengue, the warning signs to look out for are: severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, rapid breathing, bleeding gums, blood in vomit, fatigue, and restlessness.
So far this year, from Jan. 1 to 29, here’s the breakdown of the 29 dengue cases, including the two deaths, in Iloilo province:
* Guimbal – five cases with one death
* Sara, Concepcion Estancia – three cases each
* Igbaras – three cases with one death
* San Joaquin, Lambunao, Tigbauan – two cases each
* Miag-ao, Ajuy, Oton, Batad, San Enrique, Leganes – one each/PN
