DOST puts up online dengue alert

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has put up its online dengue alert system to help authorities immediately respond to dengue outbreaks.

The website, which will be operational before the onset of the rainy season, will enable public health practitioners to check out high-risk areas for dengue outbreaks and come up with early intervention measures.

The dengue alert mechanism was developed by the DOST’s Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD).

“The website is technically a vector surveillance tool containing data on population density and other information on Aedesaegypti mosquito which is the vector for dengue, or the organism that transmits the dengue virus to humans,” the DOST said in a statement.

The population of the dengue-carrier Aedes mosquito is reflected in the ovicidal-larvicidal (OL) trap index monitoring map that shows the weekly surveillance results of communities installed with the OL trap, the agency added.

The OL trap, which was also developed by the DOST, is a simple, affordable and efficient tool for controlling mosquito population.

An OL trap kit consists of a black container, a lawanit paddle where mosquitoes lay their eggs, and a pack of pellets used to make a solution that kills the eggs and larva of mosquitoes.

“Reports from dengue coordinators in schools installed with the OL trap are reflected in the monitoring map, which will then show areas where Aedes mosquitoes settle, including the density of the mosquito population,” the DOST said.

Through the weekly updates from the communities, public health practitioners can check out trends and recommend actions to be taken by policy makers and community leaders, the agency said.

“This function puts the country one step ahead of the dengue menace, the peak season of which occurs during the rainy months,” it said.

A green balloon on the map would mean an index of less than 20 percent, which calls for close monitoring of hygienic condition and conduct of weekly inspection to identify potential breeding sites.

A yellow balloon signals an index of 20 to 39 percent, which means that local officials must conduct special operations to eliminate all breeding and potential breeding places.

A red balloon marks an index of 40 percent or greater, signaling concerned officials and institutions to conduct pest control measures.

The DOST developed the monitoring map in collaboration with the Departments of Education, Health and the Interior and Local Government.

The Department of Health (DOH) has recorded a total of 3,960 dengue cases from Jan. 1 to 26 this year.

However, the DOH noted that the figure is 55.13 percent lower compared to a similar period last year.

In the same period last year, there were 8,826 dengue cases recorded nationwide.

Deaths from dengue were also lower at 20 compared to the 52 during the same period last year.

A majority of the dengue cases were reported in Calabarzon with 571, followed by Metro Manila with 543, and Western Visayas with 495.

In Metro Manila, the city of Manila had the most cases at 124, followed by Quezon City at 91, and Kalookan City at 54.