Dengue records continue to rise
It seems that the cases of dengue in the country nowadays continues to rise and is unstoppable. Amidst the rigid campaign of the government promoting the cleanliness and habitual house cleaning and fogging, the cases do not fluctuate as what we all expected.
As what being forecasted by the Department of Health, the cases of dengue will still reach up to 80,00 at the end of this year. Clinics and hospitals were all occupied and some refuses to accept patients due to unavailability of rooms. In some government hospitals, patients are advised to bring their own beddings just to be admitted since wards and private rooms were ow all being occupied.
As of August 14 this year, 54,659 dengue cases have been recorded nationwide. From this figure, 2,966 cases were recorded in the first two weeks of August alone.
A record number of 17,470 dengue cases were reported in July 2010, more than double the number of cases in July of the previous year.
DOH National Epidemiology Center (NEC) Chief Dr. Eric Tayag said August is the peak month for dengue but the number of cases is expected to keep rising in the first two weeks of September.
“Sa mga susunod na linggo, asahan natin na medyo mataas pa. Ibig sabihin niyan, kung nakaraang July lampas 17,000 ang na-report, baka malampasan ito kung mananatiling Agosto ang peak month ng dengue,” he said.
The DOH earlier said trends have changed and dengue is no longer a rainy season disease. Dengue cases are now expected even when the rainy months, June to August, are over.
Tayag said one of the reasons why dengue trends have changed is because of the recent El Niño weather phenomenon, which caused dengue-carrying mosquitoes to mutate.
“Naobserbahan yung mga lamok, lalung naging mas mabilis yung kanilang pangangagat sapagkat naging mas maliit daw sila (It was observed that dengue-carrying mosquitoes now bite faster because they have become smaller),” he said.
The NEC chief also said the recent water shortage, which forced people to store water in containers in their homes, contributed to the increase in mosquitoes. Dengue-carrying mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, whether it is clean or dirty.
He explained that there are currently four dengue strains so it is possible for a patient to get dengue more than once.
Tayag reminds the public to follow DOH’s “DENGUE” reminders:
- Daily monitoring of the patient (check if the patient is vomiting, has rashes, or has difficulty urinating;
- Encourage oral fluids or oral glucose electrolyte solution (an oral solution of 1 liter water, 8 teaspoons (tsp) of sugar and 1 tsp salt will also do);
- Note any symptoms of dengue (nose-bleeding, muscle pain, vomiting, fatigue)
- Give paracetamol, not aspirin;
- Use mosquito nets or screens; and
- Early consultation is advised
An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure as they may say. And let us all cross all our fingers that this problem will come to a halt.
Tags: Dengue, how to avoid de
