DAVAO CITY: With the start of the rainy season, Dabawenyos were advised on Wednesday to be cautious of diseases such as dengue and leptospirosis.
In an interview, City Health Office (CHO) head Dr. Tomas Miguel Ababon pointed out that environmental cleanliness is the key to combatting rainy season diseases, especially dengue.
‘Our cases of dengue may rise as the rainy season starts because the eggs not removed from our containers may get wet and become mosquitoes,” he said.
Ababon also urged the public to clean their surroundings and remove all mosquito breeding places.
‘We must ensure clean surroundings to curb cases of dengue as the eggs of mosquitoes that carry dengue disease that can withstand heat may hatch during the rainy season,’ he said.
Similarly, he also warned the public about leptospirosis cases, which may also rise due to flooding incidents during the rainy season.
‘Those who will be exposed to flood waters should immediately go to their nearest health centers for prophylaxis medicines offe
red for free,’ Ababon said, adding that they currently have a supply of prophylaxis at health centers, including substitute medicines.
Based on CHO records, around 70 cases of leptospirosis with 16 deaths were logged from January 1 to June 8 this year.
The number of cases has increased by 62.8 percent compared to last year’s 43 cases in the same period.
Source: Philippines News Agency