Ah, Manila. If the heat doesn’t kill you, the mosquitos might.
Department of Health-National Capital Region has released a warning against dengue, which has already killed seven this year.
“We have to be reminded that dengue is perennial throughout the year, even during these very hot season, dengue-carrying mosquitoes are still very much present in our surroundings. That is why we must be vigilant and continually conduct cleaning activities inside and outside our homes so as not to be a victim of dengue,” Dr. Eduardo Janairo, DOH-NCR director.
Of 2,332 cases monitored in Metro Manila, 452 came from Quezon City. Manila had 378 cases while Caloocan had 260. The cities of Parañaque, Pasig, Pasay, Malabon, and Valenzuela have had more than 100 cases each. So far, there have been fewer cases this year than last year, when 5,948 dengues cases were reported.
The Health department has been doing anti-dengue operations in areas with many dengues cases. These include insecticide spraying and clean-up drives. Metro Manila residents can help protect themselves by wearing long-sleeved clothes, using insect repellants, and covering their windows with mosquito screens.
Janairo said, though, that people shouldn’t panic.
“It can be controlled if not totally eliminated and all we need is the political will to do it. And the best way to do it is to make our surrounding clean and make it a habit to ensure that it is tidy at all times,” he said.
Dengue, spread by the A. aegypti mosquito, causes fever, headaches, muscle and joint pains and a characteristic skin rash. In some cases, it can develop into a potentially-fatal hemorrhagic fever.
