ILOILO City – Mayor Jerry Treñas issued Executive Order No. 023 yesterday declaring a dengue outbreak.
Citing data from the Department of Health (DOH), Treñas said the city had 867 dengue cases with five deaths from Jan. 1 to July 13.
These figures were 416 percent higher than the figures recorded in the same period last year – 168 cases with no death.
An average of three cases were recorded each day, said Treñas.
Also, he added, 91 new cases were recorded in just a week from July 6 to July 13.
Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection causing a severe flu-like illness that could sometimes be fatal. Its carriers are day-biting mosquitoes (Aedes albpictus and Aedes aegypti) that live and breed and clean, stagnant water.
Treñas declared a dengue outbreak a week after DOH announced a region-wide epidemic of the disease on July 15.
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 rash.
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.
DOH called for a heightened 4S campaign – “search and destroy” mosquito breeding sites; employ “self-protection measures” such as wearing trousers and long-sleeved shirts, and daily use of mosquito repellant; “seek early consultation,”; and “support fogging/spraying” only in hotspot areas where increase in cases is registered for two consecutive weeks to prevent an outbreak./PN
