BACOLOD City – According to the City Epidemiological Surveillance Unit (CESU), there were 50 dengue cases with two deaths as of March 12 here – a 4.2 percent increase from last year’s 48 cases and two fatalities during the same period.
Among the 61 barangays of Bacolod, Barangay Singcang-Airport so far recorded the most number of dengue cases this month – seven.
It is followed by Mansilingan, six; Granada and Mandalagan, five each; and Estefania, Cabug, Tangub, Pahanocoy, and Banago, three cases each.
Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease causing a severe flu-like illness that could sometimes be fatal. It is being spread by day-biting mosquitoes Aedes egypti and Aedes albopictus that breed in stagnant water.
City Health Environment Sanitation Division chief Grace Tan urged residents to keep their surroundings clean and get rid of stagnant water.
The city health division is campaigning for the 4S strategy against dengue:
* Search and destroy mosquito breeding places
* Self-protection measures
* Seek early consultation for fever lasting more than two days
* Say “no” to indiscriminate fogging.
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 rashes.
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./PN
