IMPENDING OUTBREAK. Personnel of the City Health Office (CHO) are shown in this file photo conducting fogging operation against dengue at the Manicahan Elementary School in Zamboanga City. The CHO announced Tuesday (April 5, 2022) an impending dengue outbreak due to the city’s rising cases. (File photo lifted from Zamboanga City government's Facebook page)
ZAMBOANGA CITY – There is an impending outbreak of dengue here as the cases continue to rise, the City Health Office (CHO) warned Tuesday.
Dr. Dulce Amor Miravite, city health officer, said they have recorded a total of 866 cases of dengue with 11 deaths since January this year.
“There is an impending outbreak because during the past weeks we saw that the cases are increasing,” Miravite said.
Most of those infected by dengue here are children from zero to nine years old with 488 cases. The 10 to 19 years old recorded 282 cases, she said.
She added that five of the city’s 98 barangays - Tetuan, San Roque, Sta. Marcia, Mercedes, and Putik - recorded high dengue cases.
“We will declare an outbreak once there is a consecutive increase in dengue cases,” she said, as she advised the public to practice the “4S” strategy to address cases of dengue in their community.
The 4S strategy consists of: Search and destroy mosquito breeding places; securing self-protection; seeking early consultation; and, supporting fogging only in hotspot areas where an increase in cases is registered for two consecutive weeks to prevent an impending outbreak.
Dengue is a viral infection transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes.
The primary vectors that transmit the disease are Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and, to a lesser extent, Aedes albopictus, which is called the tiger or forest mosquito.
Dengue symptoms include headache, muscle, bone, or joint pain, nausea, vomiting, pain behind the eyes, swollen glands, and rashes. (PNA)
