Las Piñas issues dengue alert

Las Piñas Mayor Imelda Aguilar has warned city residents on the dangers of leptospirosis and dengue and alerted the local health department to monitor any possible outbreak of diseases as a result of the rainy season.

Aguilar instructed city health officer Esther Oliveros to step up the awareness campaign on the prevention of dengue and leptospirosis and to conduct community inspections and surveillance to avoid a possible outbreak, particularly in the city’s extended communities.

At the same time, Aguilar ordered all city health centers to be open 24 hours for possible emergency situations.

She appealed to residents not to allow their children to play and swim in flooded areas and to maintain clean surroundings so mosquitoes cannot breed and thrive.

Aguilar instructed city engineer Rose Bantog to continuously check all drainage systems and dispatch a team to monitor the flood situation in the city even as Las Piñas continues to be spared from floods.

"We cannot afford to have diseases being contracted by our people. Thus, I am encouraging everyone, especially the parents, to cooperate with us in protecting their families from diseases brought about by the rainy season," she said.

According to the Department of Health, dengue is acquired from mosquito bites while leptospirosis is acquired from the exposure of open wounds from floodwaters, wet soil or plants contaminated by leptospira, the deadly virus from the urine of rats.