Chikungunya affects 30 Koronadal villagers

KORONADAL CITY, Philippines – The city government declared a war against chikungunya yesterday as the number of people affected by the mosquito-borne disease reached 30.

City health workers were deployed in 27 villages to conduct fogging operations to prevent the spread of the disease.  

Mayor Peter Miguel said the victims, mostly adults, were residents of Sitios Dam Site and Badak, both in Barangay Saravia.

Genevieve Aturdido, chief of the city health office, said the cases of chikungunya in the village are rising.

Saravia is a neighboring barangay of San Roque, one of the villages in Tampakan town, where the first cases of chikungunya were recorded.

Reports said nearly 300 residents from 14 puroks of San Roque had been hit by the disease.

Last week, San Roque was placed under a state of calamity due to the  rising cases.

Aside from fogging, Aturdido said regular surveillance and anti-chikungunya information drive would be conducted in the affected villages.

He said the city government is still studying the possibility of placing Saravia under a state of calamity.