ILOILO City – In just a week 251 new dengue cases were recorded here, according to the City Health Office (CHO).
“Based sa mga figures nga gin-present, it’s very alarming but we have to face this,” said Mayor Jerry Treñas.
The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) recommended placing the city under a state of calamity during a meeting yesterday.
The new cases, which included two deaths recorded from July 14 to 20, brought to 1,119 the dengue cases here with eight deaths since Jan. 1.
A declaration of a state of calamity would allow the city government to quickly implement dengue-mitigating measures, said Treñas, such as the purchase of chemicals and sprayers for mass anti-mosquito spraying in barangays, public schools and daycare centers, among others.
For the spraying, Treñas is eyeing the help of civic organizations, Bureau of Fire Protection and Philippine Coast Guard, among others.
“Tanan kita magbinuliganay na gid lang. Importante nga matapna dayun,” said Treñas.
The mayor said more healthcare professionals – doctors, nurses and medical technologists – may also be hired to beef up the CHO force.
Dengue test kits would also be purchased for distribution to the barangays, Treñas added.
Early detection is key to saving the lives of dengue patients, he stressed.
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.
This Friday, the Sangguniang Panlungsod will hold a special session to tackle the CDRRMC recommendation to declare a state of calamity.
Just this Monday, Treñas issued Executive Order No. 023 declaring a dengue outbreak. Citing data from the Department of Health (DOH), he 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.
Treñas declared an 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
