Paranaque City Health Office issues memorandum about Dengue epidemic in the city

With a significant increase in Dengue cases in the city as compared to last year, the Paranaque City Health Office has deemed it an epidemic status.

In a circular from City Health Officer Dr. Olga Z. Virtusio to all public and private schools, day care centers and churches, she revealed that from 1,174 cases last year, Paranaque now has 1,702 cases reported from January 1 to Sept. 14, 2019.

“This is 45% higher compared to the same period last year,” she noted, adding that there have been three deaths related to Dengue as well.

She then reminded everyone to strictly follow the Department of Health’s 4S campaign.

The memorandum also explained that Dengue is transmitted through a bite of dengue-infected Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.

Photo from CNN Philippines

“These mosquitoes can lay eggs in any space or container that holds clear and stagnant water like bottle caps, dish dryers, plant axils, gutters, trash cans, old rubber tires and the like,” explained Virtuoso, adding that they usually bite between two hours after sunrise and two hours before sunset and can be found inside or outside houses.

As DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III always emphasizes, the first step is always to make our own homes dengue-proof.

4S 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 repellant

Seek early consultation

Support fogging/spraying

Symptoms of dengue include onset of fever of two to seven days, headache, body weakness, joint muscle pains, pain behind the eyes, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea and skin rashes.

Virtuoso reiterated for everyone to seek early consultation so that the disease can be controlled faster and not be life-threatening.