DOH to barangay leaders: Fight dengue, leptospirosis

MANILA, Philippines - With the onset of the rainy season, the Department of Health (DOH) has asked local government and barangay officials to conduct massive cleanup to fight dengue and leptospirosis.

Health Secretary Enrique Ona said they have been coordinating with local government units (LGUs) and barangay officials to ensure that surroundings are clean and there is no free standing water.

“I hope there will again be a more aggressive cleaning of our creeks and canals to eliminate breeding sites of mosquitoes,” he said.

The DOH had re-launched the “4 o’clock habit” program which promotes massive cleanup in the neighborhood to get rid of possible breeding sites of mosquitoes, like old tires, tin cans and bottle caps.

The DOH said mosquitoes also thrive in flower vases, air-conditioning units and refrigerators.

Dengue-carrying mosquitos, Aedes aegypti, thrive in clean but stagnant water. Symptoms of dengue include fever, severe headache, muscles and joint pain and rashes.

Severe dengue could be fatal when complications like fluid accumulation, severe bleeding, respiratory distress or organ impairment set in.

Ona also warned the public against the possible increase of leptospirosis cases as heavy rains are expected to spawn flooding.

“We’ll have another campaign with the LGUs not only for dengue but also for leptospirosis. What’s the problem with leptospirosis? The rats in our home,” he said.