LP ready for dengue

Mayor Vergel Aguilar ordered the strengthening of anti-dengue measures even as the city’s health office (CHO) has announced that the possible spread of the disease is controlled due to the preventive actions they have adopted.

 Aguilar said that while the CHO is capable of detecting and controlling possible dengue outbreaks, he reiterated the conduct of regular disease surveillance, cleanliness and sanitation drive and fogging operations to eliminate mosquitoes breeding sites in areas identified as critical.

The order came following report of Dr. Eliezer Natividad, City Health Office OIC, that dengue cases among Las Piñas residents significantly dropped compared to last year’s incidence attributing it to people’s awareness and cooperation.

Natividad attributed the success of dengue prevention campaign to the formation of what they call Larvitrap families composed of homeowners who use tin cans designed to trap mosquito egg and larvae which are examined to check the presence of dengue vector, Aedes aegypti.

Regular vector surveillance is regularly conducted by sanitation inspectors. This way, source of dengue strain is hit right on target preventing its spread.

Installed since three years ago, the system has been reduced to at least five (5) barangays, from the city’s 20 barangays, which registered significant number of dengue cases like in barangays CAA/BF Int’l, Pamplona 3, Pulanglupa 2, Talon 2, and Talon 5.

The CHO also coordinated with public school officials in putting up Little Dengue Brigade among school children with the conduct of 4 o’clock habit in their respective schools and spread information and awareness on dengue prevention and control.

Meanwhile, Aguilar urges everyone to seriously observe cleanliness to ensure total arrest of the killer disease and prevent the spread not only in the city but in neighboring areas.

Aguilar also urged city residents to follow the “4-S” campaign in fight against dengue spread. Residents are reminded to dispose of cans, water containers, bottles, flower vases and plastic cups where mosquitoes usually breed.

Everyone, especially school children are urged to carry out self protection by wearing jogging pants, long sleeves and by using mosquito repellant lotion, mosquito nets or the installation of door and window screens.

Residents who may feel or observe symptoms of dengue must seek immediate treatment.

If afflicted with high fever for 2-7 days, or have headache and experience eye strain and muscle pain, vomiting, loss of appetite and weakness, the residents are advised to go to the nearest health center or hospital for check up. Aguilar further stressed that prevention through widespread information-dissemination and community-wide health education and cleanliness is an effective way to control the outbreak of any killer-disease.

Las Piñas has more than 29 modern health centers supervised by competent doctors and other medical staff and equipped with health facilities and equipment.