DENGUE CASES. A dengue-carrying mosquito. The Department of Health (DOH) has raised concern over the deaths of five persons in Eastern Visayas and hospitalization of 1,861 others due to dengue fever during the first two months of the year. (PNA file photo)
TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Health (DOH) has raised concern over the deaths of five persons and confinement of 1,861 others in Eastern Visayas due to dengue fever during the first two months of the year.
From Jan. 1 to Feb. 22, the DOH recorded deaths each in Ormoc City, Baybay City, Tacloban City, and the towns of Abuyog and La Paz, all in Leyte province.
The youngest victim was four years old and the oldest at 44 years old.
“Even a single death is alarming since dengue can be treated. A single death is a signal of dengue transmission in the community,” said DOH Eastern Visayas assistant regional director Exuperia Sabalbarino in a press briefing Friday.
This year’s case, however, is lower than the 2,436 recorded in the same period last year with 10 deaths.
The health department has recorded the clustering of cases in 42 villages all over the region. A village is listed under clustered area if there are more than two dengue cases in a week.
“While dengue cases are continually scaling up in the region, let us not be complacent. We need to address the root causes of dengue and practice preventive and precautionary measures all year round to fight this disease,” Sabalbarino said.
The official reiterated the DOH’s “4S” to fight dengue as an effective strategy to prevent cases and deaths.
These “4S” strategies are search and destroy mosquito breeding places, seek early consultation, self-protection method, and support fogging/spraying only in hot spot areas, where an increase in cases is registered for two consecutive weeks, to prevent an impending outbreak.
Dengue fever is marked by an onset of sudden high fever, severe headache, and pain behind the eyes, muscles, and joints. Some may develop rashes and varying degrees of bleeding in different parts of the body. (PNA)
