ILOILO City – From July 24 to 30, this city recorded 69 new cases of dengue, bringing to over 500 such cases here since January of this year.
If cases continue to rise and breach the so-called epidemic threshold, the city may be placed under a state of calamity, according to Mayor Jerry Treñas.
An epidemic threshold is a certain level above what is considered normal.
“Malapit na lang. Ginabantayan ta gid. Amo na nga worried gid ‘ko,” said Treñas without giving figures that would be cited as basis to declare a state of calamity.
Dengue cases here hit 502 with one death on June 30 yet, data from the City Health Office’s (CHO) City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) showed. This was already 111.8 percent higher than the 237 cases with no death recorded in 2021 from January to June.
Treñas yesterday ordered fogging operations in schools to get rid of dengue mosquitoes. This is also in preparation for the opening of face-to-face classes.
Fogging will also be carried out in barangays with clustering of dengue cases.
“We want to be massive in this,” said Treñas.
CHO data showed 279 of the dengue cases to be children from one to 10 years old; 108 were children between 11 to 20 years old; and 58 were persons between 21 to 30 years old.
Dengue causes a severe flu-like illness that could be fatal if not managed well. Its carriers are day-biting mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti) that breed in clean, stagnant water.
The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies dengue into two major categories: dengue (with or without warning signs) and severe dengue.
The sub-classification of dengue with or without warning signs is designed to help health practitioners triage patients for hospital admission, ensuring close observation, and to minimize the risk of developing the more severe dengue.
Don’t delay seeking medical help. According to the Department of Health (DOH), this is the most common reason for dengue fatalities in Western Visayas.
“Usually pila na ka adlaw nga nagamasakit, nga nagahilanat before sila magpakonsulta. Abi nila trangkaso lang,” said Dr. Bea Camille Natalaray, head of DOH Region 6’s Integrated Non-Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control Program Sector.
“Some people delay seeking medical help because they fear being diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19),” said Natalaray.
Fever is a symptom common in dengue, flu and COVID-19.
“Indi na maghulat nga madula hilanat kag amo pagkadto sa doctor. We have to remember that the critical period for dengue is the time nga madula ang hilanat. So we have to be early. As early as one to two days nga nagahilanat dal-on na sa aton mga sentro,” said Natalaray.
Dengue should be suspected when a high fever (40°C) is accompanied by two of the following symptoms during the febrile phase (2-7 days): severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pains, nausea, vomiting, swollen glands, and rash.
According to WHO, a patient enters what is called the critical phase normally about three to seven days after illness onset. During the 24-48 hours of critical phase, a small portion of patients may manifest sudden deterioration of symptoms. It is at this time, when the fever is dropping (below 38°C) in the patient, that warning signs associated with severe dengue can manifest.
Severe dengue is a potentially fatal complication, due to plasma leaking, fluid accumulation, respiratory distress, severe bleeding, or organ impairment.
Warning signs that doctors should look for include: severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, rapid breathing, bleeding gums or nose, fatigue, restlessness, liver enlargement, and blood in vomit or stool.
If patients manifest these symptoms during the critical phase, WHO said close observation for the next 24-48 hours is essential so that proper medical care can be provided, to avoid complications and risk of death./PN
