High incidence of dengue in Toledo, cause for concern

A CHILD has died while 65 other persons were hospitalized in August and September for dengue in Toledo City raising concern for the Cebu Provincial Health Office (PHO).

“It is a cause for concern since statistics show that the disease exists in Toledo and is spreading,” said Provincial Health Director, Dr. Rene Catan.

However, Catan said that although the numbers are high, no outbreak has been announced by the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7).

DOH Regional Director, Dr. Jaime Bernadas agreed with Catan that the number of dengue incidents is not enough to declare an outbreak in Toledo City.

“Interventions are directed to keep it (dengue) low and controlled,” said Bernadas.

Catan said that a high number of dengue cases is expected during the rainy season, including August and September.

“Compared to the population of Toledo City, 65 is not yet an outbreak but it is something we need to monitor carefully,” said Catan.

Bernadas said they are constantly monitoring the incidence of dengue and the DOH-7 is assisting Toledo City in the entomological surveys and vector control interventions.

According to Dr. Bonito Sanoria, chief of the Toledo City Hospital, the dengue cases started in Barangay Bato spreading to Barangay Cabitoonan, and most recently in Barangay Poblacion.

The single casualty was a two year old child from the Zamora family who died in September.

There are also eleven critical cases being monitored by the Toledo City Health Office who were sent either to the Balamban District Hospital or to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City. \

Sanoria considers the influx of patients as a dengue outbreak since in ordinary months, Toledo only records an average of 6 dengue patients per month.

“Wala ra man nuon mi naglisod og accommodate but this is definitely a lot of dengue patients in a month,” said Sanoria.

(We are not having a difficult time accommodating the patients but this is definitely a lot of dengue patients in a month.)

Emergency Room Nurse supervisor, Glicel Trocio, said many dengue cases were recorded in the month of August, from Barangay Bato and spread to other barangays.

Sanoria said that the Toledo City Health office already conducted spraying and nesting around the affected barangays to prevent more cases.

Catan also said that they are looking into putting more ovitraps, which are devices that kill mosquito larvae, in Toledo City to help decrease the number of cases.

According to Catan, the best way to control the spread of dengue in the case of an outbreak is to identify the infected persons and isolate them from the community.

“Tabuni og moskitero ang mga nasakit aron dili na sila mapaakan ug di na sila makatakod. Dili kay ang imong moskiterohan ang kadtong walay sakit. (Cover the dengue victim with a mosquito net so that no mosquito can bite him and infect another. Don’t cover those who are not sick),” said Catan.