Website to monitor dengue cases launched

MANILA, Philippines -  A website to monitor dengue fever cases nationwide and provide information on the population of dengue-carrying mosquitoes was launched yesterday.

Under their Dengue Vector Surveillance website, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will provide information on mosquito population nationwide, as well as dengue incidence and other mosquito-related facts.

Speaking to reporters at La Breza Hotel in Quezon City, Science Secretary Mario Montejo said vector refers to an organism, in this case the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which carries disease-causing microorganisms such as the dengue virus from one host to another.

Montejo, along with Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Armin Luistro and Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Enrique Ona, also presided over the installation of ovicidal-larvicidal traps at the Kamuning Elementary School, Quezon City for the anti-dengue program.

Montejo said that through the website, health workers can monitor possible dengue sites and recommend interventions to local government officials.

“The project is a joint initiative by the DOST, DOH and DepEd to address the pressing concern on the prevalence of dengue,” he said.

Montejo said the DOST is taking the challenge of dengue seriously, considering that the disease has far reaching impact, affecting not just the victim but his family and communities as well.

“This challenges the national and local governments to finally take a stand against threats posed by the disease.

“Together with the DOH, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and DepEd and other government agencies, DOST makes a firm commitment in sustaining efforts, initiatives and programs to bring down the prevalence of dengue cases and effectively control dengue in the country.”

Developed by the DOST-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD), the dengue alert website, which can be accessed at http://oltrap.pchrd.dost.gov.ph, features a map with red and white balloons. 

Red balloons indicate “alert” which means that the population density of dengue-carrying mosquitoes in a certain area is too high and interventions are needed promptly.

White balloons dotting certain areas, on the other hand, mean that the population of the dengue-carrying mosquito is too sparse, or none at all, to cause any dengue incident.

The mosquito population is monitored by schools where OL traps are installed.

The OL trap, developed by scientists from the DOST Industrial Technology Development Institute, 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 larvae of mosquitoes.

The school-based monitors check on the wire-traps weekly and report to DOST the number of traps that contain mosquito eggs and larvae.

The monitors used to do their weekly reports manually by tediously filling up forms. But now, in partnership, with Megamobile, the monitors just text their reports which are then automatically encoded on the website.

The DOST has two ways to find out the mosquito density in an area through the website.

One is to hover the mouse over the map and locate the area manually. A balloon will pop out with the name and address of the school, along with dengue status and recommended interventions.

The DOST said clicking on the school name would yield the line graph showing the indices – or population density – on certain dates.

A quick glance on the line direction would show the rise and fall of mosquito population over a certain period. The highly visual indicator can be easily understood, especially by common folk and community leaders, and be used as basis for appropriate action.

The DOST said the launch of the website and installation of OL traps form part of its Nationwide Dengue Vector Surveillance Program for 2013.  –  Rainier Allan Ronda, Evelyn Macairan