DAGUPAN CITY (PIA) – Amid the rising dengue cases at the onset of the rainy season, the Pangasinan Provincial Health Office (PHO) has sounded the alarm, noting a 20-percent rise in the number of mosquito-borne diseases.
From January 1 to July 22 this year, the Pangasinan PHO reported 1,111 dengue cases.
Dr. Anna Ma. Teresa De Guzman, head of the provincial PHO, said there is a 20 percent increase in dengue cases to 1,111 from 926 in the same period last year.
“Tumaas din ang case fatality rate ngayon. Noong nakaraang taon pumatak ito sa 0.65 porsyento o katumbas ng anim na pagkasawi. Ngayong taon, umabot na ito sa 0.72 porsyento on walong namatay,” she added.
(The case fatality rate has also increased to 0.72 percent (or eight deaths) this year from 0.65 percent (six fatalities) in the same period last year.)
Areas covered based on the Pangasinan PHO’s watchlist include Alaminos City, the towns of Anda, Aguilar, Bani, Binmaley, Bolinao, Bugallon, Labrador, Lingayen, Mangatarem, Urbiztondo, and Sual, which have a higher-than-normal prevalence of dengue fever.
De Guzman said that Lingayen town has the highest number of dengue cases, with three fatalities this year.
“Ang pinapangambahan namin, tatlo kaagad ang nasawi—isa noong June at dalawa naman nitong July sa bayan ng Lingayen dahil sa dengue. Ang pinakabata ay seven years old at ang pinakamatanda ay 44 years old,” she said.
(What we are concerned about is the rise in the rate of dengue deaths—one in June and two in July in the town of Lingayen—the youngest was seven years old and the oldest was 44 years old.)
De Guzman is urging residents to immediately seek medical assistance upon experiencing symptoms such as fever lasting two to seven days, joints and muscle pain, general body weakness, rashes, nosebleeds or bleeding gums, occasional abdominal pain, dark-colored urine, or coffee-colored vomit.
She also called for a massive clean-up drive to eradicate mosquito breeding places and recommended regular draining out of stagnant water and emptying uncovered containers, buckets, flower pots, and other things that hold stagnant water to prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs.
De Guzman also recommended fumigation, fogging, and misting in efforts to drive away mosquitoes.
Fogging, which is recommended for dry days, disperses insecticides in a fine mist to target and eliminate adult mosquitoes in outdoor areas.
Misting, on the other hand, is effective for indoor spaces, using a finer spray to target both adult mosquitoes and larvae.
De Guzman said the Pangasinan PHO is coordinating with rural health units to push their local governments to issue directives or ordinances to boost the anti-dengue drive. (MJTAB/JCDR/PIA Pangasinan)
