Dengue outbreak declared in 8 N. Samar villages

The Department of Health (DOH) declared yesterday a dengue outbreak in eight villages in the Northern Samar town of Pambujan where 562 people have fallen ill with the mosquito-borne disease.

In an interview, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the dengue cases were recorded from July 4 to 30.

“But I was informed that admissions are starting to go down so I hope this is an indication that the outbreak is now under control. We are closely monitoring the situation there,” he said.

In a report to Duque, Dr. Teogenes Baluma, DOH regional director for Eastern Visayas, said this is the first massive outbreak of dengue in Northern Samar.

Of the 562 victims, Baluma said only 86 were hospitalized while three died. The youngest patient was eight months old, and the oldest, 42.

The DOH regional office observed that the Northern Samar Provincial Hospital and the provincial health office “lack the capacity to handle an outbreak like this.”

“No protocol was being followed in the screening of dengue suspects before admission. The lack of hospital beds resulted in congestion of pediatric wards. It was noted that the resident physicians were not familiar with the standard clinical management of dengue cases due to lack of supervision by the pediatric consultants,” Baluma said.

And while the laboratory was capable of performing platelet count (blood test) using the slide method, most requests for this procedure were referred to a nearby private laboratory. The results, however, were not released on time.

“Medical supplies and medicines were not available for the patients. Availability of freshly collected blood was a problem,” he said.

To assist the patients, the DOH procured rehydration fluids and medicines for them. It also sent pediatricians and medical technologists to the affected villages.

Duque said “dengue brigades” were also formed in each affected barangay to help carry out measures, including clean-up of communities, to contain the spread of dengue.

The DOH also intensified its “search and destroy” activities to eliminate possible breeding sites of Aedes aegypti, the day-biting mosquito species that spreads dengue.

“We are also coordinating with the leaders of neighboring municipalities to monitor the situation there and to ensure that they also observe anti-dengue strategies,” Duque said. – With Carlo Navarro