Dengue outbreak declared in Zamboanga City

Aedes aegypti mosquito, carrier of the dengue virus.

MANILA, Philippines — A dengue outbreak has been declared in Zamboanga City, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III told INQUIRER.net on Friday. 

“It is the local government that declared it, based on their data submitted,” Duque said in a phone interview.

The local government unit has reported 2,026 dengue cases — including 19 fatalities — from January 1 to May 14, 2022.

The local government also revealed that the number of cases for the said period was 1,793 percent higher compared to the 107 reported cases in 2021.  

The city government said the barangays with high dengue cases have initiated their own anti-dengue campaign like fogging operations and other measures to eliminate dengue-causing mosquitoes.

According to Duque,  the Department of Health’s field epidemiologists  are also monitoring the dengue cases in Zamboanga Sibugay.

“It is now being investigated by our field epidemiologists to find out that the number of cases has gone past the alert level, also the outbreak level,” the Health chief said. 

Duque said the onset of the rainy season in the country is a “contributory factor” to the rise of dengue cases in several areas in the country. 

The state weather bureau declared the start of the rainy season this May.

Duque reiterated the importance of the “4S” approach against dengue –   search and destroy of mosquito-breeding sites; self-protection measures by wearing long pants and sleeves; seek early consultation; and support of fogging or spraying.

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