MAASIN CITY (PIA) -- Health authorities in Maasin City swiftly took action to contain an isolated clustering of mosquito-borne diseases in one of its barangays.
“With nine dengue cases in barangay Manhilo, health authorities deployed fogging teams on Friday, January 5, to eliminate mosquito breeding places and mitigate the spread of the virus,” City Information Officer Lorraine Acasio reported.
An operator of a fogging machine sprays nooks and corners for possible breeding grounds of mosquitoes in barangay Manhilo, where a clustering of dengue cases was observed. (Photo courtesy of City Information Officer Lorraine Acasio)
The Department of Health (DOH) has regularly been campaigning using the 4S strategy to raise awareness about the dengue disease caused by the Aedes aegypti mosquito in humans. The disease has an average incubation period of 4-7 days from the day a person was bitten.
The “4S” stands for search and destroy mosquito breeding places, seek early consultation, secure self-protection, and support anti-dengue fogging or spraying operations when necessary.
Acasio said that out of the nine reported cases in Manhilo, a barangay located along the national highway about 8 kilometers from the city proper going west, only three were required hospital admission.
The patients’ ages ranged from 11 months to 39 years old, and so far, only one patient was confined, she added.
As of Tuesday, January 9, the remaining patient has gone home and has reportedly fully recovered, Acasio told the Philippine Information Agency.
Mayor Nacional Mercado emphasized the importance of community cooperation, urging all Maasinhon residents to stay informed, take preventive measures, and promptly report any suspected dengue case from the barangays, Acasio said, quoting the mayor.
Dr. Fransilisa Tan, head physician at City Health Unit I, mentioned the planned fogging operation during the Kapihan sa PIA-Southern Leyte when she guested on January 4.
Dr. Fransilisa Tan of the City Health Unit I in Maasin City shares updates on the city’s health-related programs and services at the recent Kapihan sa PIA, including the move to prevent a rising dengue case in barangay Manhilo in the first week of January. (Photo: PIA Southern Leyte)
Tan urged everyone to throw away stagnant waters kept inside houses and offices, such as in flower vases and in water containers in backyards, like those being filled by rain, for these can be perfect breeding grounds for dengue-carrying mosquitoes, which looked like a zebra with its striped body feature.
“These kinds of flying insects usually looked for prey from around 6 to 8 in the morning and 4 to 6 in the afternoon,” Tan said.
She said that with the ever-changing climate conditions, when a hot, sunny day suddenly turned into a rainy day due to a localized thunderstorm, according to the weather bureau, the onset of dengue can be expected any time of the year, no longer during the rainy season.
Based on records obtained from the City Health Office, a total of 175 dengue cases were recorded in 2022 with four mortality cases, while 83 cases were recorded in 2023 but no deaths were reported.
The ages of those afflicted in the past two years ranged from one year old to over 60 years old. (LDL/MMP/PIA-Southern Leyte)
