Dengue Alert

Mandaue City’s recorded dengue cases are increasing.

From January to August this year, the City Health Office recorded 65 cases when only 45 dengue cases were recorded the whole year last year.

Three people from Mandaue died of dengue as of August. In 2008, there were seven dengue-related deaths.

Barangay Maguikay had the most number of dengue cases at 18, with two deaths. Last year, it was barangay Subangdaku that had the most dengue cases at 30.

Jasmine Marie Seno, City Health Office nurse coordinator for dengue cases, said they were intensifying their campaign against dengue.

Seno urged the public to be more pro-active and to consult barangay health centers if they suspect that a family member has dengue.

She said the city government provides free complete blood count (CBC) tests and platelet counts through the City Health Office.

She said the City Halls health department has organized “brigades” in communities where there were dengue cases.

Seno said the brigades use misting chemical sprays instead of fogging to kill off mosquitoes that carry the dengue virus.

These brigades test waters with visible mosquito wrigglers. If these wrigglers are determined to be the dengue-carrying breed, the body of water and the surrounding area is misted.

She urged the public not to rely on these brigades and to maintain a clean environment to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

Records at the City Health Office showed that dengue infection rates were low from January to May, but the number went up in June and had continued to rise in August.

After Maguikay, barangays Canduman, Looc and Subangdaku ranked second in the most number of dengue cases at 15 cases each. Banilad had 14 cases, Cambaro, 12; and Tipolo and Ibabao at 11 each.

Barangays Labogon and Paknaan had 10 cases each.

Upland barangays of Casili and Tingub remain dengue-free.

Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes has ordered the City Health Office to intensify its campaign against dengue, since he considered dengue to be deadlier than the highly publicized Influenza A subtype H1N1 virus.

Last June, Cortes called for a massive cleanup of barangays as dengue cases started to rise.