TACLOBAN CITY- A town in Biliran province has declared an outbreak of dengue fever due to its record number of children getting sick due to the mosquito-causing ailment.
On Wednesday (Feb.13), Mayor Rodolfo Espina, Sr. declared a dengue fever outbreak in the town as it has now about 81 cases as of Tuesday.
Out of the town’s 20 barangays, 10 have cases of dengue fever with the village of Mapuyo having the biggest number of cases with 42 followed by the village of Tucdao with 12, Dr. Christine Balasbas, municipal health officer, said in a phone interview.
She also said that a five-year old boy from Brgy. Tucdao died on Jan.24 due to dengue fever while being treated at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC) in Tacloban City.
Balasbas also said that while they have 81 cases, many of them have already recovered from the ailment.
About 15 patients remain at their rural health unit as they are still being treated.
Balasbas said that with the declaration of an outbreak, they could now access funds from the local disaster funds to buy another unit of fogging machine and medicines and other needed supplies.
Balasbas said that as part of their precautionary measures, they have conducted fogging operations in the villages where there are dengue fever cases.
The municipal government has also asked the villagers to clean their surroundings, particularly their waterways and other stagnant waters to stop dengue fever-causing mosquitoes from breeding.
Meantime, Leonido Olodia, anti-dengue coordinator of the regional office of the Department of Health (DOH), said Eastern Visayas has monitored 1,069 cases as of this week.
Majority of the cases or 241 cases are from Northern Samar province, followed by Biliran with 175 cases, Samar with 163 and Leyte 151.
He also said that six have died due to dengue.
The DOH official said that those who experiences fever should immediately consult a doctor and seek for medical attention for proper care.
Those who had dengue after their hospitalization should have regular check-up for 10 days to monitor their condition and have laboratory test.
“Basta may positive dengue RDT (rapid diagnostic test), it is very important that children or patients should stay in the hospital,” Olodia adding that if ever they go home, they should go back to the hospital for check-up.
Olodia also advices communities to continue the search and destroy activities for breeding ground of mosquitoes to address problem on dengue cases in their respective areas.
(JOEY A. GABIETA,ROEL T. AMAZONA)
