DOH issues dengue alert

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) has issued an alert against possible increase in dengue cases this rainy season as it reiterated calls for an intensified campaign to eliminate breeding sites of mosquitoes.

DOH spokesman Eric Tayag said public health measures against dengue should focus on “integrated mosquito control that requires active participation of individual households even as local governments intensify support to the department’s dengue prevention and control program.”

“We would like to remind the people to be extra cautious and be mindful of the different areas where mosquitoes can thrive, especially this rainy season,” Tayag said.

“The goal is to eradicate the threats of dengue with the vector control measures that we have been doing to protect ourselves and our families and with the help of the newest medical breakthroughs like the dengue vaccine that we have now in the market,” Tayag added.

The vaccination campaign covers some 700,000 Grade 4 public elementary school students aged nine and above in Metro Manila, Central Luzon and the Calabarzon region, where there has been a spike in the number of dengue cases.

The DOH Epidemiology Bureau recorded 59,585 dengue cases from January to July 2. The figure is 31 percent higher than the 45,338 cases recorded during the same period last year.

Most of the cases came from Calabarzon with 7,564; Central Visayas, 6,020; Northern Mindanao, 5,729; Central Luzon, 5,683 and SOCCSKSARGEN, 4,882.

There were 263 deaths compared to 159 for the same period last year.

Dengue cases up in Pangasinan

Health officials have placed on the watchlist two cities and eight towns in Pangasinan with the highest number of dengue cases.

These are the cities of San Carlos with 45 cases and Alaminos (36), and the towns of Asingan (98), Pozorrubio (62), Malasiqui (54), Bayambang 45), Calasiao (44), San Fabian (43), Mangaldan (37) and Sta. Maria (35).

Provincial health officer Anna Ma. Teresa de Guzman said 1,170 dengue cases were recorded from Jan. 1 to Aug. 1 with six deaths.

A total of 1,284 dengue cases with nine deaths were recorded in the province during the same period last year, De Guzman said. – With Eva Visperas