published July 14, 2010 in BusinessWorld
TACLOBAN CITY -- The Department of Health (DoH) has called for community mobilization to intensify vector control measures as officials recorded an all-time high in dengue cases in Eastern Visayas.
As of this week, the deadly virus has killed 54 people and afflicted 4,030 others, a surge of 957% compared to the same period in 2009, said DoH regional sentinel nurse Roderick Boyd S. Cerro. This topped the 3,000 recorded cases in 1998.
"It’s very alarming. We are asking everyone to take part in community cleanup to control the mosquito population," Mr. Cerro said in a telephone interview. Dengue fever is caused by a virus transmitted by an infected mosquito.
Mr. Cerro said Eastern Visayas is one of the top five areas with high dengue cases this year.
Pressed with this concern, the Health regional office yesterday sent letters urging local government units to mobilize the community in a clean-up drive to control the vector. The government is waging the 4S campaign -- search and destroy, self-protection measures, seek early consultation and say no to indiscriminate fogging.
With 54 fatalities, the mortality rate from dengue reached 1.3% this year, higher than the government target of less than 1%. Most of the victims were less than 25 years old.
About 26% of the dengue-related deaths were in Tacloban, where a water supply shortage is forcing the residents to store water. An outbreak was also recorded two months ago in Sta. Margarita, Samar, where 23 patients were afflicted.
Mr. Cerro said the high incidence of this disease even during a prolonged dry season is not surprising because infected mosquitoes can lay eggs even in containers with a small amount of water.
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