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Official Publication of the Philippine Information Agency Bicol Regional Office, in cooperation with the RIAC-REDIRAS - RDC Bicol



Thursday, March 5, 2015

DOH Bicol calls for measures to prevent uptrend of dengue cases, even on summer time

LEGAZPI CITY, Mar. 5 (PIA) -- The Department of Health (DOH) Bicol regional office has urged the public to carry out measures to prevent spread of dengue fever following the increase in the number of cases of this mosquito-borne disease in recent month based on the montioring of the Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (RESU).

According to the surveillance data from January 1 to February 21 this year, RESU has recorded  a 63 percent increase in the number of cases in Bicol provinces indicating 104 cases in 2014 and 169 cases in the current year.

RESU data showed that Camarines Sur had 65 cases followed by Albay with 52, Sorsogon, 25 and Masbate, 16.

Dengue cases in Catanduanes and Camarines Norte, however, have decreased by 50 percent and 13 percent, respectively.

DOH Biol regional director Gloria J. Balboa noted that dengue cases usually are on the uptrend during rainy season, but the public must be on alert against dengue all year round.

“As long as there are breeding grounds for the dengue carrier Aedes aegypti mosquito; we cannot be complacent in implementing the campaign. We cannot expect dengue to spike during rainy season only.” she added.

She emphasized that seasonal changes makes dengue an unpredictable disease to observe.

Balboa called on for consistent community involvement to stop the dengue case surge.

She said that the DOH has been aggressively campaigning against said disease and tells that regular community participation such as spreading awareness in preventing dengue will make a lot of difference.

The campaign against dengue is anchored on the 4S strategy: SEARCH AND DESTROY possible breeding grounds of dengue such as flower vase, discarded tires and other containers that may hold stagnant water; SELF-PROTECTION MEASURES like applying mosquito repellent lotion, SEEK EARLY CONSULTATION if symptoms of dengue began to appear and SAY NO TO DISCRIMINATE FOGGING which suggest fogging during outbreaks only. (MAL-PIA5/Albay)

- See more at: http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/771425622697/doh-bicol-calls-for-measures-to-prevent-uptrend-of-dengue-cases-even-on-summer-time#sthash.jvHx28cQ.dpuf

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