2 months ago
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TUGUEGARAO CITY — The Cagayan Provincial Health Office (PHO) has recorded a total of 532 dengue cases from Jan. 1 to March 24 this year.
Based on the data released by PHO, the number of dengue cases is highest in the town of Gonzaga with 49, followed by Tuguegarao City and Baggao with 41 each, and the towns of Gattaran with 37 cases.
Other towns also with a high number of dengue cases are Alcala, which recorded 34, Aparri with 27, Tuao and Abulug with 25, Pamplona with 24, and Sana Ana and Lasam with 23.
Nestor Santiago, Cagayan PHO provincial surveillance officer, noted that one of the causes of the increase in dengue cases in the province is the limited scope of search and destroy operations in the barangay (villages).
In response, PHO has instructed barangay captains, councilors and health teams in each town to inspect the remotest areas to ensure that there are no remaining mosquito breeding places.
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Santiago noted that as part of the interventions made by the PHO through the coordination with municipal health offices and rural health units, "we have told all the barangay captains and all council members, and health teams in the municipal level to inspect places in their zone areas so that we can ensure that everything is cleaned."
While intensifying their early consultation campaign, the PHO has expressed alarm that most of those who are sick or affected by the dengue virus today are children who are from 1 to 10 years old.
However, it also issued reminders that the dengue disease can affect anyone.
Meanwhile, Santiago emphasized that environmental sanitation is the easiest and most effective way to prevent the spread of dengue.
He also urged the public to immediately consult the nearest health facility if they experience fever, stomach pain, vomiting or other symptoms related to the said disease.
"When you experience symptoms such as fever, stomach pain, vomiting and any forms of symptoms related to dengue, let us not delay and take them to the nearest health facility to be checked immediately," Santiago added.
He said the PHO continues to call for the implementation of search and destroy, self-protection, seek early consultation, support fogging and spraying, and sustain hydration to prevent the spread of dengue disease.
