ILOILO – The number of dengue cases in the province already reached 2,208 from January to May 25 this year. Eleven deaths have been recorded. The Provincial Health Office (PHO) is urging the public to “search and destroy” breeding places of mosquitoes spreading the deadly viral infection.
“Dengue cases in Iloilo province continue to increase. Preventing this should not be the responsibility of health workers alone. I am asking everyone to take active participation in stopping the transmission. Please search and destroy mosquito breeding places,” said PHO chief Dr. Ma. Socorro Colmenares-Quiñon.
Female mosquitoes mainly of the species Aedes aegypti and – to a lesser extent – Aedes albopictus transmit the dengue virus.
Aedes aegypti, unlike other mosquitoes, is a day-time feeder. Its peak biting periods are early morning and before dusk.
Female Aedes aegypti bites many people during each feeding period. Its eggs can remain dry for over a year and hatch when in contact with water.
Aedes albopictus, meanwhile, is highly adaptive. It can survive in cooler temperate regions like Europe despite coming from tropical Asia.
Latest data from the PHO showed that the number of dengue cases in Iloilo so far this year surged 557 percent compared to that in the same period in 2018, which only had 337 cases and one fatality.
The PHO earlier warned of the rise in dengue incidence in relation to the mosquito-borne disease’s three-year trend.
In 2016, Iloilo posted 9,370 cases of dengue with 22 deaths.
After a decline in 2017 and 2018, a sharp increase in dengue cases has been observed in 2019. In the Western Pacific region, the increase has been seen in the Philippines, China, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Australia, and Cambodia.
Colmenares-Quiñon stressed that massive anti-dengue campaign that would start in barangays must be implemented immediately to avoid an outbreak in Iloilo province.
Passi City has the highest number of dengue incidence with 208. The town of Pototan followed with 202; Concepcion with 159; Ajuy with 110; Santa Barbara, 106; Calinog, 103; Pavia, 96; Sara, 88; New Lucena, 78; Lambunao, 64; Bingawan, 62; and Banate, 46.
Three deaths were recorded in Concepcion; two each in Pototan and Bingawan; and one each in Santa Barabra, Pavia, New Lucena, and Banate.
Other affected municipalities have less than 10 dengue cases, PHO data further showed. These include Guimbal (one), Igbaras (two), San Joaquin (two), Tubungan (six), Anilao (seven), and Miag-ao (seven).
Colmenares-Quiñon said barangay officials should start conducting their Aksyon Barangay Kontra Dengue campaign and encourage massive cleanup in villages to destroy mosquito breeding places, usually open containers with stagnant water.
She added that they are giving “extra attention” to areas with three cases of dengue recorded in four weeks.
These areas are Ajuy, Alimodian, Badiangan, Cabatuan, Calinog, Concepcion, Dingle, Dueñas, Dumangas, Estancia, New Lucena, Passi City, Pavia, Pototan, San Dionisio, San Enrique, San Miguel, Santa Barbara, Sara, and Tigbauan.
The PHO head urged parents to bring their children to the nearest Rural Health Unit or hospital should dengue symptoms are observed.
The disease is characterized by a high fever (40°C/104°F), which is accompanied by two of these symptoms: severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pains, nausea, vomiting, swollen glands, or rash.
Symptoms usually last for two to seven days, after an incubation period of four to ten days after the bite from an infected mosquito.
Colmenares- Quiñon said that dengue patients admitted in Rural Health Units need not pay for medication. (With a report from World Health Organization/PN)
