ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/23 May) — Efforts of the local government to contain the spread of dengue hemorrhagic fever, which has reached the outbreak level, appeared to be an uphill battle as the number of cases continues to rise.
City Health Officer Dr. Rodelin Agbulos disclosed that a child died on Monday bringing the total death toll to 12 out of 864 cases recorded from January to May 21 this year.
The latest recorded death was the third for the month of May, Agbulos said, adding. 130 of the total 864 cases were also recorded during the same month.
The death toll from January to May 21 this year was six more than that of January until May of last year, he further said.
Mayor Celso Lobregat has declared a dengue outbreak following the report from the city health office that as of April, there were already 732 cases with nine deaths.
Agbulos said the outbreak threshold for the month of April was 225 cases, but the actual reported cases for the period reached 234.
The number of dengue cases from January to April this year was higher by 426 cases compared to the figure for the same period last year.
Among the anti-dengue measures the city has done is the fumigation in all schools which began on Monday in time for the start of the Brigada Eskwela, Agbulos said.
A city-wide clean up drive was also held last May 15 as part of the efforts to prevent the spread of the disease.
The city government has allocated P553,000 from its emergency funds to purchase larvicides and other chemicals to be used in the campaign against dengue.
Agbulos called for public support in the fight against dengue citing they alone cannot prevent the spread of the mosquito-borne disease. (MindaNews)