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[av_heading heading=’ON ZIKA SPRAYING
Jed seeks to compel reluctant households ‘ 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 – How do you convince reluctant households to allow inside residual spraying (IRS) to get rid of mosquitoes spreading the Zika, dengue and chikungunya viruses?
Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog said he may ask the City Legal Office (CLO) for help.
According to the City Health Office (CHO), 10 percent of households in Barangay Benedicto, Jaro district were hesitant of the IRS.
Barangay Benedicto is where four of the seven Iloilo cases of Zika virus infections were detected.
CHO said the reluctant households were worried of the ill-effects of the IRS on the health of family members suffering from various ailments.
IRS is the application of long-acting chemical insecticides on the walls and roofs of houses and domestic animal shelters in a given area to kill the adult vector mosquitoes that land and rest on these surfaces.
“We’ll ask the City Legal Office to explore options on how to compel these reluctant households,” said Mabilog yesterday.
The mayor said the city government may also offer to temporarily relocate these families to the Jaro health center until the IRS is over.
“The IRS is important in curbing the spread of the Zika virus,” stressed Mabilog.
He also urged barangays officials to spearhead cleanup drives targeting mosquito breeding places.
Aside from Barangay Benedicto, the other Zika cases here were in the barangays of Santa Cruz, Arevalo district (2) and San Juan, Molo district (1).
Common Zika symptoms are flu-like such as fever, rashes, joint pains, redness of eyes. Sometimes, not all of these symptoms manifest.
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) manual for IRS listed the following procedures for households prior to the activity:
* Remove all household items, including water, food, cooking utensils and toys, from the house. Move and cover, or remove, any furniture to allow easy access for spraying walls. Items that cannot be removed should be well covered.
* Cage or tether pets and domestic animals away from the house.
WHO also listed the following things households must do after spraying:
* Household occupants should stay outside until the spray is dry.
* Householder should sweep or mop the floor before children or pets are allowed to re-enter.
* Householder should not to clean the sprayed surfaces./PN
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