DOH: Dengue cases on the rise in 4 regions

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MANILA – According to a health official, a surge in dengue cases has been detected in Zamboanga Peninsula, Cagayan Valley, Western Visayas, and Davao regions.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire clarified in an online media forum that only specific areas and provinces have been affected by the surge in dengue cases and not the entire four regions.

“Dun sa Zamboanga City, dun natin nakita lumagpas sa epidemic threshold ‘yung bilang ng mga kaso (In Zamboanga City, the number of cases exceeded the epidemic threshold). That’s why the local government declared an outbreak,” she said.

Nonetheless, the weekly reported cases in 2022 were still significantly lower than “the cases we had in 2021 nationally.”

“Nag-uulan na po so kailangan na masusing linisin ang mga backyard natin, ang ating mga tahanan, public spaces para mawala itong aedes aegypti o ‘yung lamok na nakaka-cause ng dengue (It has been raining in the past days so we need to thoroughly clean our backyards, houses, and public spaces to get rid of the breeding grounds of aedes aegypti or the mosquito that causes dengue),” she said.

In order to help dengue patients, the Department of Health has activated Fast Lanes in hospitals, prepositioned supplies for regional and local government needs, such as the pesticides used to combat the spread of these mosquitos, and informed local government units about the 4S approach.

The 4S strategy refers to search and destroy mosquito-breeding sites; self-protection measures; seek early consultation of symptoms; and support spraying or fogging to prevent further outbreaks.