Governor Daniel R. Fernando has ordered intensified preventive measures against dengue due to a significant increase in the number of cases in the province.
Data from the Provincial Health Office-Public Health (PHO-PH) showed that the total number of cases of dengue in the province from January to June 11, 2022 was 2,737 or 54 percent higher compared to the same period last year.
Most of the reported cases, the PHO-PH said, were from the age bracket of 11 to 20 years old.
Among the municipalities with the highest number of dengue cases are San Miguel with 687 cases; San Ildefonso, 215; Santa Maria, 172; Plaridel, 83; and Angat, 73.
Fernando ordered intense monitoring in the affected areas, with fogging to be done regularly.
“Ang ating layunin ay babaan ang kaso ng dengue hindi lamang sa panahong ito. Ayon sa ating PHO-PH, the whole year may dengue kaya dapat mandato na buwan-buwan na may fogging/spraying sa mga lugar na may mataas na kaso ng dengue. We should always have immediate action. Maganda na ‘yung handa dahil prevention ang pinaka mahalaga (Our objective is to bring down the cases of dengue not only this time. According to our PHO-PH, there is dengue the whole year, thus, fogging/spraying must be done monthly in areas with high number of dengue cases. We should always have immediate action. It is better to be prepared because prevention is most important),” the governor said in social media post on Friday.
He also bared a plan to create an executive order requiring owners of business establishments to conduct fogging/spraying at least once a month as a preventive measure.
The governor ordered the PHO-PH to hold an orientation for barangay officials, health workers, and volunteers to intensify the surveillance and implementation of the enhanced 4S strategy in every barangay.
The enhanced 4S strategy stands for Search and destroy mosquito-breeding sites, Secure self-protection measures like wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts and daily use of mosquito repellent, Seek early consultation, and Support fogging/spraying only in hotspot areas where an increase in cases is registered for two consecutive weeks to prevent an impending outbreak.
Dengue is a viral disease transmitted to humans through the bite of the vector Aedes aegypti mosquito. (PNA)
Photo Credit: Philippine News Agency