QC bans fogging operations

The Quezon City government has discouraged fumigation of known mosquito breeding areas in various parts of the city because of the health hazard it poses to residents, particularly in depressed areas.

Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. directed City health officer Dr. Maria Paz Ugalde to submit a report on the effects of fumigation as a basis for denying the request for fogging equipment in the city.

The mayor’s directive was in relation to the city government’s renewed campaign against the possible outbreak of dengue fever during the rainy season.

The traditional way of fighting the spread of dengue is through fumigation of mosquito-infested areas. Ugalde said, however, that this poses health hazards to residents as droplets of chemicals sprayed in the air remain in the area for some time.

As an alternative, the city health department has mobilized Sanitary Inspectors to help distribute Abate powder, which become larvaecide when mixed or melted in water.

Aside from the renewed anti-dengue drive, the city health department has also started monitoring the prevalence of upper respiratory diseases among preschoolers and elementary pupils in the city.

Ugalde also alerted government agencies on the proliferation of ambulant food vendors in schools, which were banned early this year by the Department of Education (DepEd) after elementary pupils died of food poisoning in Bohol. — Perseus Echeminada