Fighting dengue
LIKE the dreaded coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19), dengue fever is a killer illness that occurs in the tropical and subtropical areas of the world, including the Philippines.
Without doubt, what is certainly alarming is that dengue cases have been increasing in three Region 2 provinces. These are Cagayan, Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya.
In fact, dengue fever cases in said Northern Luzon provinces have surpassed the so-called “epidemic threshold, according to the Department of Health (DOH).
Otherwise known as “breakbone fever,” dengue is a viral infection transmitted to human beings through the bite of infected “Aedes aegypti” mosquitoes.
Likewise, official data show that since January 1, the dreaded virus, which causes fever, headaches and rashes, has claimed the lives of 38 patients in Central Visayas.
In Region 2, concerned government authorities have set up “dengue brigades” and “fast lanes” for the increasing number of dengue patients in hospitals.
Health authorities have also underscored the importance of employing the “4S strategy” in fighting dengue.
The “4S strategy” calls for the “search and destroy (of) breeding places, secure self-protection, seek early consultation, and support fogging/spraying.”
Worried parents of high school students in Alcala, Pangasinan said “there really needs to be a greater government focus on education and prevention programs.”
However, the said education and prevention programs should not be confined to public and private schools but throughout the community, according to the parents.
Certainly, government efforts to address the problem deserve the all-out support of the Filipino people, including the ordinary citizens, across the country.
