Marikina steps up anti-dengue drive

The local government of Marikina is set to conduct a series of activities to eradicate dengue in its 16 barangays.

"We should make every month a dengue awareness month. People must consider cleanliness as the root cause of healthy and disease-free environment," said city health officer Dr. Alberto Herrera, who is spearheading the citywide dengue eradication campaign.

June is Dengue Awareness Month.

Herrera advised residents to eliminate mosquito breeding sites in their neighborhood like rain barrels, drums, pails and other water containers, discarded tires, bottles and tin cans, garbage cans, clogged roof and gutters, coconut shells, tree holes and bamboo stumps.

The city health officer encouraged Marikeños to clean and sanitize their environment to prevent dengue.

He also urged residents to regularly donate blood so that hospitals would have enough supply of blood for dengue patients.

Dengue is an acute febrile disease cause by the bite of dengue-infected mosquitoes. It is characterized by moderate to high grade fever of two to seven days, headaches, retro-orbital pain, muscle and joint pains, vomiting, abdominal pain, minor and major bleeding and decline platelets.

There are 2.5 billion people at risk with dengue infection over 100 countries worldwide.

To prevent dengue, Herrera announced the simultaneous holding of clean-up and preventive fogging operations and intensified health education drives in the city’s 16 barangays on June 16.

The city health officer said they would also hold "larvitrapping," a test that will determine future occurrence of dengue-carrying mosquitoes in a certain barangay.

Under the said process, the city health office would place water-filled black tin cans with plyboard under household sinks, dark rooms, and other mosquito-breeding areas. — Non Alquitran