Sunday, April 15, 2007 Health office stabilizes dengue cases in Zambo By Bong Garcia
THE number of dengue fever cases in this city has stabilized two weeks after the implementation of anti-dengue initiatives by the City Health Office (CHO).
City health officer Dr. Rodel Agbulos said from the previous 15 cases per week, the number of dengue admissions in hospitals decreased to 10 per week after the conduct of the "Dengue Noise Barrage" and heightened information and education campaign.
Although lower than the previous weeks, Agbulos said the weekly dengue cases registered is still higher than the weekly average of eight cases per week during the same time last year.
Overall, 154 dengue patients were admitted in hospitals in this city from January until the first week of April of this year, according to Agbulos.
He said records show the number is 57 percent higher than the number of cases registered during the same period last year.
"The public is therefore advised to continue their efforts to prevent dengue through environmental sanitation, covering and weekly cleaning of water containers, collection and disposal of all unusable tin cans, jars, bottles and other items that can collect and hold water, cleaning roof gutters of debris and leaves", Agbulos appealed.
During the first four weeks of the year there were only eight cases registered per week.
This gradually increased to an average of 15 cases during the next six weeks prompting the declaration of a Dengue Alert and the implementation of anti-dengue initiatives.
Agbulos' office, in coordination with barangay officials, last month held a simultaneous noise barrage and massive clean up activities in eight barangays where the most number of dengue cases were registered.
Agbulos added that the effort to minimize, if not eradicate, dengue fever requires public support and cooperation.
