Manila Bulletin

Dengue cases in PH rising

By CHARIE MAE F. ABARCA

Apublic health expert on Monday, July 4, warned of rising dengue cases in the Philippines, as the mosquito-borne viral disease can be very serious and life threatening.

Rainy season indicates the peak of dengue infection. This is why the immediate past president of the Philippine Medical Association, Dr. Benito Atienza, warned against complacency amid the rising dengue cases in the country.

The Department of Health (DOH) earlier reported 45,416 dengue cases in the Philippines from Jan. 1 to June 11 — 45 percent higher than the number of infections recorded in the same period in 2021.

“Dapat tayong maalarma [sa tumataas na bilang ng dengue cases]. Dapat po tayong mabahala [dahil] kahit sino po ay pwedeng magkaroon ng dengue sa panahon ngayon dahil tag-ulan po (We should be alarmed of the rising dengue cases. We should be worried because anyone can get dengue at this time because of the rainy season),” Atienza said in a televised briefing.

Atienza cited the situation in Singapore where the mosquito-borne disease caused a higher number of fatality compared to Covid-19.

Dengue chooses no age, but experts said age is an important factor in determining how severe is the risk after a dengue infection.

“Napakahalaga po na magpakonsulta kung ang lagnat ng bata ay dalawa o tatlong araw na. [Kabilang din sa sintomas ang pagkakaroon ng] rashes, maging ang pagsakit ng tiyan, hindi makakain, at nade-dehydrate. Huwag na po nating hintayin madehydrate ang ating mga anak bago natin dalhin sa doktor (It is important to consult a doctor if the child has fever for two or three days. Symptoms also include skin rashes, abdominal pain, inability to eat, and dehydration. Let us not wait for our children to be dehydrated before we take them to the doctor),” Atienza said.

Four o’clock habit

While dengue can be life threatening, it is preventable, said the expert.

“Paghandaan natin ang cases ng dengue kasi talagang dumadami po. Kahit saang lugar, basta’t may tubig ay maaaring pamugaran ng lamok na nagdadala ng dengue kaya dapat ay sundin natin ‘yung tinatawag na four o’clock habit (We should be on guard because dengue cases are increasing. In any place, as long as there is water, dengue-carrying mosquitoes can lay their eggs, so we must follow the socalled four o’clock habit),” said Atienza

Four o’clock habit is one of the Department of Health’s (DOH) strategies in fighting dengue to encourage communities to practice clean-up drives every 4 p.m. in their homes. The DOH’s enhanced 4S strategy stands for “search and destroy” mosquito sites, employ “self protection measures,” “seek early consultation,” and “support fogging or spraying” in areas where there is an increase in dengue cases to prevent an impending outbreak.

National News

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2022-07-05T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-07-05T07:00:00.0000000Z

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