ILOILO CITY: The Iloilo City Health Office (CHO) is now intensifying its information and education campaign in barangays that will raise public awareness about dengue following the onset of the rainy season, hoping to sustain the declining cases this year.
From Jan. 1 to June 1 this year, the city recorded 176 cases, a 29.6 percent drop from the 243 cases recorded during the same period last year.
There are no deaths, clustering of cases, and hotspot barangays, Medical Officer IV June Frances Umani, CHO coordinator for emerging and re-emerging infectious disease program, said during a press conference on Wednesday.
Umani said a big factor in the low cases is the El Niño phenomenon.
‘Hopefully, we can maintain this, but we must be vigilant since it is already rainy season,’ she said.
Umani said they want the public to observe the 5S – search and destroy mosquito breeding sites, self-protection measures, seek early consultation, support fogging/spraying, and sustained hydration – strategy.
She said they a
re encouraging barangays to observe the 4 o’clock habit and distribute larvicides that will be placed in canals to prevent larvae from developing into adult mosquitoes.
‘Dengue is an acute viral infection caused by a mosquito; the vector is an Aedes aegypti mosquito. Usually, they are day-bite mosquitoes from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.,’ she said.
There are free consultations, laboratories, and medicines available at the city’s nine health centers.
She added they are wary that cases will increase this rainy season so they are already intensifying their campaign.
Among the signs and symptoms of dengue are high-grade fever, headache, muscle pain, pain behind the eyes, weakness, skin rashes, nose bleeding, vomiting, abdominal pain, and internal bleeding as manifested by their blackish feces.
The country observes the National Dengue Awareness Month this June.
Source: Philippines News Agency