Dengue outbreak declared in Valenzuela

The Valenzuela City government declared a dengue outbreak in its second district yesterday after nine barangays in the area were affected by the deadly disease.

"It’s only an outbreak, not an epidemic," Dr. Manuel Mapue, the city epidemiologist told The STAR.

Mapue said the dengue outbreak in Barangays Marulas, Gen. T. de Leon, Karuhatan, Maysan, Parada, Ugong, Mapulang Lupa, Bagbaguin and Paso de Blas, all in the second district, remains "under control."

"When the city government can no longer afford to address the problem, that’s the time we declare an epidemic. The situation is still very much under control," he said.

Mapue noted that since January, at least 222 dengue cases have been recorded in the city. Three have died, all of them children, Mapue said.

Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian ordered the city health department yesterday to procure at least three more fogging machines for the city government’s intensified anti-dengue drive.

Mapue said Valenzuela’s second district was the most affected since water in the area is not salty. The dengue-carrying mosquito thrives on fresh water, he said.

Continued fogging operations and a massive educational campaign on how to avoid dengue is now being conducted in the city’s 32 barangays.

Fever Alert

The Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday the National Capital Region (NCR) has the most number of dengue cases in the country.

"The NCR region is under close watch," said Dr. Eric Tayag, chief of the DOH’s National Epidemiology Center, during a press conference in San Juan.

Tayag clarified, however, that the country does not have a dengue epidemic.

"We don’t have a dengue epidemic. However, the DOH has placed the country on a dengue fever alert," he said.

The other two areas with high incidence of dengue are Region 10 and Region 3.

Tayag reported that from Jan. 1 to Aug. 19, 2005, the DOH received reports of  14,738 dengue cases with 197 deaths.

"This is a 20 percent increase in the number of cases compared to the same period last year. The highest was in 1998 which coincided with the El Niño. Close to 40,000 cases were reported," he said.

Last year, the DOH received reports of 144 deaths by August.

Tayag said the DOH has three lines of defense against dengue.

The first is "search and destroy," or the cleaning of surroundings.

"Search possible breeding grounds of mosquitoes and destroy these breeding grounds," he advised residents.

The second is to prevent mosquitoes from biting. "Put up screens and light mosquito coils, use insect sprays or repellents and wear sleeves."

The final line of defense is treatment at hospitals.

Tayag said the DOH is now focusing on the "search and destroy" campaign. — With Sandy Araneta