THE Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) is planning to declare a dengue outbreak in several barangays in the municipality of Sogod, north Cebu.
Dr. Shelbay Blanco, Health Emergency Management Bureau (HEMS) coordinator of DOH-7, said that based on their monitoring, Sogod is now included in the top 20 local government units (LGUs) in Central Visayas with the most number of dengue cases.
Blanco said that they are currently monitoring the cases in Sogod compared to the same period last year. He also noted that aside from the increase, there were also clustering of cases in some of the town’s barangays.
Two deaths
Based on the report from the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) of DOH-7, Sogod has reported 120 cases of dengue from January to September 29 this year.
The Municipal Health Office of Sogod has also recorded two cases of deaths. Among the barangays with reported cases of dengue are Calumboyan, Tabunok, Dakit, Lubo and Ampongol.
Blanco also revealed that some barangays with no reported cases last year have already manifested dengue infections this year.
He, however, clarified that the declaration of a dengue outbreak will only be done in the barangay level.
“We cannot really say that there is an outbreak in the whole municipality (of Sogod), but we will declare it in barangay level only, especially in those barangays which we’ve considered as hotspots,” he added.
A barangay, Blanco said, can be considered as a dengue hotspot if there are clustering of cases in it during the conduct of their three-week monitoring and surveillance.
“That’s why we are already intensifying our dengue control measures, our cleanup drive and possible conduct of misting activities in coordination with the municipal health office,” he said.
Unusual increase
Divina Dosado, Public Health Nurse of the Municipality of Sogod, also said that the town’s Local Health Board has already asked the assistance of DOH-7 on the matter.
Dosado described the sudden increase of dengue cases in the town as unusual since they have already intensified their campaign against the deadly disease.
Dengue can be acquired through the bites of infected female Aedes aegypti mosquitos.
“We’ve also coordinated with DepEd (Department of Education) in educating the parents against the deadly disease. We’ve also intensified our cleanup drives and the implementation of the 4S (Search and destroy mosquito breeding places, Secure self-protection, Seek early consultation and
Support fogging/spraying only in hotspot areas),” Dosado added.