Dengue outbreak declared in La Union city, 4 towns

SAN FERNANDO, La Union, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) yesterday declared a dengue outbreak in this city and four towns in La Union, which was placed under a state of calamity last week.

DOH Assistant Secretary Eric Tayag told The STAR that health authorities have intensified fogging operations in the towns of Balaoan, Bacnotan, Bauang, and Bagulin and this city. 

Classes were suspended in public elementary schools where fogging operations were conducted. 

“The immediate measures to prevent further increase of dengue cases in these areas under outbreak is fogging and the search and destroy of breeding places for mosquitoes,” said Tayag who personally went here to assess the dengue situation in the province. 

Tayag met with local health officials yesterday and declared the outbreak after evaluating the overall condition of dengue cases in the province. 

He said the DOH is strictly monitoring the chemicals being used in the fogging operations because there are fake substances being supplied which could further aggravate the proliferation of dengue-carrying mosquitoes. 

“We don’t want fake. We are strictly following the health department’s standards on chemicals for fogging operations,” he said.    

Dr. Hector Beñas, provincial health officer, reported that the province is under a state of emergency due to the upsurge of dengue cases with 2,030 cases and seven deaths as of Aug. 8.

The declaration of state of calamity will allow the provincial government headed by Gov. Manuel Ortega to use a portion of the calamity fund to purchase chemicals and fogging machines to combat the proliferation of dengue-carrying mosquitoes.  

Dengue cases this year in La Union are higher than those recorded during the same period last year.