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KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews/24June) – Forty-five of the 130 suspected dengue cases monitored from various hospitals in the city since May this year were confirmed to be cases of hemorrhagic fever, reports from the City Health Office (CHO) said.
Despite the number, no one died due to the infection, according to Dr. Jocelyn Incienzo, the city health officer. The only fatality recorded was last February.
Dengue cases are high in the villages of Poblacion and Lanao and upland areas, including the villages of Ilomavis and Sudapin.
Incienzo said cases are already manageable as they intensified campaign for dengue prevention since early June.
The Department of Health (DoH) promotes the “Four S Campaign” as dengue cases increase with the onset of the rainy season.
The campaign promotes searching and destroying possible breeding grounds of dengue-carrying mosquitoes; self-protection measures through usage of mosquito nets and wearing of long-sleeve shirts and pants; seeking health professionals for a fever that lasts two days or more; and, saying no to indiscriminate fogging.
The virus is transmitted through the bite of the dengue-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquito. These mosquitoes thrive in clear stagnant water stored in neglected containers at home.
Most of these mosquitoes bite during daylight hours.
The disease is life threatening when proper medication is not immediately administered, especially cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever that causes internal bleeding to patients. (Malu Cadeliña Manar / MindaNews)