ILOILO City – To curb rising dengue case s, the city government is relaunching its cleanup drive “Ugsaran Tinluan para Balatian Malikawan.”
According to Councilor Alan Zaldivar who chairs the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s Committee on Health, the relaunching will be on June 4, 6 a.m. at the public plaza of La Paz district.
This will be highlighted by a simultaneous city-wide cleanup in 180 barangays.
Mayor Jerry Treñas encouraged everyone to join the cleanup to get rid of dengue-carrying mosquitoes.
Dengue mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Ades albopictus breed in clear, stagnant water.
The City Health Office (CHO) alerted the barangays, especially those with dengue cases:
* Pali Benedicto – five cases
* MV Hechanova, Bakhaw and Calahunan – three cases each
* Bolilao, Guzman, Nabitasan, Balabago, Buhang, Buntatala, Tabuc Suba, San Pedro, MH del Pilar, Ortiz, and Cuartero – two cases
CHO acting head Dr. Annabelle Tang said dengue outbreak usually occurs every three to four years.
The City Modular Hospital in Barangay So-oc, Arevalo will be turned into a hydration unit in case dengue cases surge.
As of May 28, the CHO’s City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) recorded a total of 70 cases of dengue.
There were 48 dengue cases from Jan. 1 to May 21 this year, a 56-percent decrease during the same period last year. The 22 additional new cases were recorded from May 22 to 28.
Tang said CHO has been conducting surveillance on adult and larva mosquitoes to determine if there’s presence of Aedes dengue-carrying mosquitoes in certain areas.
Dengue symptoms include fever, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.
Health advocacy and campaign reiterated the 4S Strategy to include:
* Search and Destroy breeding places;
* Self Protection such as using mosquito repellants;
* Seek early consultation when experiencing symptoms such as fever from two to seven days, nosebleeding, difficulty breathing, pain behind the eyes, muscles and joints; weakness; abdominal pain and vomiting, dark-colored stool, and rashes; and
* Support spraying to prevent impending outbreak. (With a report from Iloilo City PIO/PN)
