By Tara Yap
ILOILO CITY – A dengue outbreak was declared in Iloilo province as the number of cases involving the mosquito-borne disease continued to rise.
An Aedes aegypti mosquito
(Flickr / Oregon State University / MANILA BULLETIN) Iloilo Gov. Arthur “Toto” Defensor Jr. signed Executive Order No. 2019-016 Friday afternoon in an attempt to lower the spread of dengue in 42 towns and the component city of Passi. “We declared an outbreak because we want to recognize that there is a problem. Based on historical data, the cases are high,” Defensor emphasized. Dr. Maria Socorro Colmenares-Quiñon, assistant chief of the Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO), disclosed there was a 777-percent spike of dengue cases for the first half of the year. IPHO recorded 4,306 dengue cases, including 20 deaths from January 1 to June 29, 2019. In comparison, there were only 491 cases for the same period last year. The town of Pototan had the most number of cases with 428 including three deaths. It is followed by Passi City with 356 cases and a fatality. With the dengue declaration outbreak, the Iloilo provincial government can proceed with emergency purchases of dengue test kits, IV fluids and medicines. Defensor also called on mayors across the province to conduct a province-wide cleanup operation every Saturday that will start on July 6. Dubbed as “Do Day Kontra Dengue Drive”, it be a communal undertaking that aims to kill the breeding grounds of mosquitoes that are carriers of dengue. Meanwhile, Iloilo City is also experiencing a rise in the number of dengue cases. As of June 30, there has been 597 cases reported with five fatalities. This prompted Mayor Jerry Treñas to call on barangay officials to purchases their own misting machines.
An Aedes aegypti mosquito(Flickr / Oregon State University / MANILA BULLETIN) Iloilo Gov. Arthur “Toto” Defensor Jr. signed Executive Order No. 2019-016 Friday afternoon in an attempt to lower the spread of dengue in 42 towns and the component city of Passi. “We declared an outbreak because we want to recognize that there is a problem. Based on historical data, the cases are high,” Defensor emphasized. Dr. Maria Socorro Colmenares-Quiñon, assistant chief of the Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO), disclosed there was a 777-percent spike of dengue cases for the first half of the year. IPHO recorded 4,306 dengue cases, including 20 deaths from January 1 to June 29, 2019. In comparison, there were only 491 cases for the same period last year. The town of Pototan had the most number of cases with 428 including three deaths. It is followed by Passi City with 356 cases and a fatality. With the dengue declaration outbreak, the Iloilo provincial government can proceed with emergency purchases of dengue test kits, IV fluids and medicines. Defensor also called on mayors across the province to conduct a province-wide cleanup operation every Saturday that will start on July 6. Dubbed as “Do Day Kontra Dengue Drive”, it be a communal undertaking that aims to kill the breeding grounds of mosquitoes that are carriers of dengue. Meanwhile, Iloilo City is also experiencing a rise in the number of dengue cases. As of June 30, there has been 597 cases reported with five fatalities. This prompted Mayor Jerry Treñas to call on barangay officials to purchases their own misting machines.