Dengue epidemic feared in Central Luzon

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – Cases of dengue in Central Luzon may reach epidemic proportions if the public will not support the drive to curb the spread of the viral disease, a ranking health official warned the public yesterday.

Dr. Rio Magpantay, chief of the epidemiological unit of Department of Health’s (DOH) regional office here, said 598 dengue cases have been monitored in government hospitals in Central Luzon since January.

"The situation is even worse as we have not even monitored the cases in private hospitals due to lack of manpower," she said.

In Nueva Ecija alone, 200 cases of dengue infection have been monitored since the start of the year, while 148 were recorded in Bulacan, 125 in Pampanga, 93 in Bataan, 61 in Tarlac and 45 in Zambales.

Magpantay said unlike in past years, more cases were noted in rural areas this year. She offered no explanation.

However, she pointed out that a "concerted effort" is needed to prevent an epidemic from breaking out. She urged the government and the private sector to work together in educating the people on how to avoid being infected.

"What’s important is public support in eradicating the breeding places of mosquitoes," she said, referring to the aedis aegypti mosquito which is known as the main carrier of the virus that causes the disease.

As this developed, Sen. Loren Legarda urged community leaders to take up measures to prevent dengue in their localities.

Legarda said officials of barangays should ensure that mosquito breeding areas in every barangay are identified and destroyed. She also called for local businesses to assist the government in its anti-dengue campaign by sponsoring disinfection drives and donating medicines to health centers.

"Everyone can help in this," she said. "It’s as simple as covering water containers, discarding old tires, cleaning water channels and spraying insecticide to kill mosquitoes and their larvae. It also helps to report incidents of dengue to clinics in order to monitor the prevalence of the disease," she said.

The senator lauded municipal and city government officials who do fumigation to kill mosquitoes, but she noted that a clean environment is essential in keeping the community free from diseases.

Earlier, Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit reported that the number of those infected with dengue has reached more than 5,000 since the January across the country, with nearly 50 deaths recorded.

Central Visayas and Metro Manila had the most number of dengue cases, with 1,311 and 1,217, respectively. Most of the victims were children between the ages of one and nine.

Legarda had urged Congress to provide special funding for the research and development of an anti-dengue vaccine to protect children from the disease. – With Aurea Calica