The City Health Office (CHO) has revealed that the city is in an impending dengue outbreak and if cases continue to rise, the office will place the city under dengue outbreak.
Dr. Dulce Amor Miravite, city health officer, said “Our situation now is we are on impending dengue outbreak. We are closely monitoring the cases, si chene consecutive increase of cases, then we will be declaring an outbreak.”
She explained, for the past three weeks, cases were high and reached the alert and epidemic threshold.
The city already have 866 cases of dengue fever from January to April 2, this year with 11 mortality.
Barangays with most number of cases were Tetuan, San Roque, Sta Maria, Mercedes, and Putik.
Last 2019, the city experienced outbreak when it comes to dengue. The cycle of dengue outbreak is every three years.
Dengue fever is a viral disease usually affecting infant and young children. Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes lay eggs on clear and stagnant water and spreads the disease.
The signs and symptoms of dengue fever includes: sudden high fever; joints and muscle pains; skin rashes; nose bleeding; vomiting of coffee colored mattered; and, dark colored stool.
The management of dengue is symptomatic as there is no medicine for dengue fever alone.
For dengue, the CHO is advocating the practice of “4S” strategy. The 4S strategy include the following: search and destroy; self-protection measures; seek early consultation; and, support fogging in times of increasing cases. (R.G. Antonet A. Go)