Negros Provinces Among Dengue Hot-Zones
The Department of Health (DOH) has released a list of provinces in the country considered as dengue hot-zones and Negros Oriental and Occidental are among the 21 provinces in the list. Also included are Antique, Apayao, Batangas, Benguet, Bukidnon, Cebu, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Laguna, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental, Oriental Mindoro, Pangasinan, Pampanga, Rizal, Southern Leyte, Zambales and Metro Manila.
In a press briefing in Manila, Dr. Eric Tayag, DOH spokesperson, explained that a dengue alert zone is being declared when a barangay in a municipality, city or province have dengue cases in four consecutive weeks. Government hospitals in the area are automatically alerted to put up express lanes for immediate response, treatment and monitoring of suspected dengue cases. He clarified that for the provinces in the list, it does not necessarily include all its component cities, municipalities and barangays. He added that from 43 barangays, there are now 80 dengue hot-zones (yellow alert).
Dengue Cases in the Rise
Dengue cases from January 1 to August 6 have reached 84,085, which is 15.8 percent higher than last year’s 72,627 cases during the same period, and the death toll has reached 372. Tayag made it clear that there is no outbreak yet although they expect this figure to rise due to the rainy season. He is calling on all local government officials concerned to do their share in preventing the increase of the number of cases through DOH’s “4S Campaign”
- Searching and destroying breeding sites of mosquitoes.
- Self-protective measures,
- seeking early consultation and Saying no to indiscriminate fogging.
- Stagnant water should be covered so that mosquitoes cannot lay their eggs there
The rise of the dengue cases is a continuing upward curve. From 2014 to 2015 the province of Negros Oriental saw already a rise of 28 percent!
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