Improper water storage amid the dry spell is seen as one reason behind the higher number of dengue cases in the province for January and February this year compared to the same period in 2015.
Dengue season hasn’t even officially been declared yet, but the Provincial Health Office (PHO) already recorded 425 cases of dengue in Cebu on the first two months of this year alone.
“We are looking at the ability of the local government units to prevent the disease in their areas of jurisdiction, but we are also not ruling out the possibility of improper water storage as a cause,” PHO Head Dr. Cynthia Genosolango told Cebu Daily News.
This number is 130 percent higher than the 184 recorded cases during the same period last year.
According to the PHO, for January and February this year, Balamban topped the list of towns with 64 dengue cases, followed by Carcar with 40,
Bantayan with 30, Daanbantayan with 20 and Moalboal with 18.
Balamban, Carcar and Daanbantayan were also in the top five of the towns with dengue cases in 2015.
Genosolango said that the cause could be multi-factorial, but her office is looking at the possible complacency of LGUs in terms of dengue prevention more than the irregular rainy season or dry spell.
With regard to improper water storage, she said they have yet to check and validate this.
Carcar Mayor Nicepuro Apura, in a phone interview, said he was surprised that his city even made it to the top 10 (of the Cebu towns with dengue cases) for 2016.
“I was informed by the DOH (Department of Health) earlier this year that we were not even a part of the top 10 so far,” he said.
He, however, admitted that there might have been around 20 cases recorded by his local health office in January.
Moalboal Mayor Inocentes Cabaron, for his part, said he hasn’t had the chance to talk to his health officer but he did receive several requests for financial assistance in the last three weeks.
“I can recall four to five parents who asked for financial aid to have their children hospitalized for suspected dengue,” Cabaron said.
He said these parents came from Barangays Saavedra, Tunga and Poblacion.
He gave P1,000 to those who opted to have their children admitted to a hospital in Cebu City and P500 to those who chose to bring them to the district hospital in Badian town.
Both Apura and Cabaron said that they had encouraged their constituents to clean their surroundings and have intensified their information drive on dengue this year.
Genosolango, for her part, said that there has been no let-up in the PHO’s efforts to help eradicate dengue in the towns of Cebu.
From Jan. 2 to Feb. 27, PHO has conducted misting operations, larvicide applications and information campaigns in at least 21 areas in the province.
The PHO also advocates “4S Against Dengue” which serves as a reminder to LGUs (local government units) on the steps to take to prevent the spread of dengue.
The 4S means Search and destroy mosquito breeding places; use Self-protection measures; Seek early consultation for fevers lasting more than two days; and Say yes to fogging when there is an impending outbreak.
In October last year, Health Secretary Janette Garin disclosed that they expected a higher number of dengue cases in 2016 due to the strong El Niño affecting the whole country.
She pointed out that the dry spell is a period when water is stored in bulk, and with intermittent rains, accumulated water becomes more likely.
Baltazar Tribunalo Jr., head of the Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), said storing water in the midst of the dry spell is not bad per se.
Tribunalo said he is more concerned with the irresponsible storage of water, which could be the reason for the increase of dengue cases in the province.
“The containers should be properly sealed so that mosquitoes won’t be able to lay eggs in them,” he told CDN.
Tribunalo also cited the Capitol’s drive to store and save water among households in the province especially with the onset of the dry spell.
The Capitol has been providing plastic drums to LGUs, even water catchment and water impounding facilities in component towns and cities starting May last year.
Meanwhile, health authorities declared the start of dengue season toward the end of September last year.
“We can never know when the number of cases may spike. But based on trends, the number usually goes high once the ‘-ber’ months begin,” Provincial Epidemiological Surveillance Unit (PESU) Nurse Cyril Pangatungan said.
In 2015, PHO recorded 404 cases during that month, 633 in October and 522 in November. The office recorded a total of 2,461 cases from 51 component cities and municipalities last year.