Frogs won’t stop dengue, DOH says

 

MANILA, Philippines — Releasing frogs in stagnant waters to eliminate mosquitoes will not prevent the spread of dengue infections, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday.

DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire issued the remark after reports that a local government unit (LGU) released frogs in its waterways as a way to prevent dengue.

“Hindi ‘yun tama. Kahapon noong narinig natin ‘yung balita, agad agad nating tinawagan ‘yung kanilang LGU officials, ‘yung city mayor nila, at agad na rumisponde ang city mayor at tinawagan ‘yung barangay captain para ipatigil,” she said in an interview over ABS CBN’s TeleRadyo.

(That’s not right. When we heard the news, we called the LGU officials, the city mayor, who then called the concerned barangay captain to stop the practice.)

The DOH, as well as other agencies, earlier released a joint statement cautioning against releasing “invasive species” such as frogs and fish in waterways to prevent dengue infections.

The agencies said this is “not a scientific solution” to dengue as it may risk human health and destroy ecological balance, which could lead to issues on food supply.

“Maaaring makasira ito sa ating ecosystem at ang pinaka-importante ay maaaring makapag-pose ng health risk ito dahil maaaring malason din ang ating mga kababayan, even their pets,” Vergeire pointed out.

(This could ruin our ecosystem and this could pose health risks as this can poison the public, even their pets.)

In the earlier statement, the agencies said only scientific solutions will solve complex problems like dengue, saying the main solution to the disease is vector control.

“That is to destroy the breeding grounds of mosquitoes,” the statement read.

Vergeire urged the public to use the 4S strategy against dengue.

According to the DOH, the 4S stands for:

-“Search and destroy” mosquito-breeding sites

-employ “Self-protection measures” (i.e. wearing long pants and long sleeved shirts, and daily use of mosquito repellent)

-“Seek early consultation”

-“Support fogging/spraying” only in hotspot areas where an increase in cases is registered for two consecutive weeks to prevent an impending outbreak.

The DOH earlier said that the rising number of dengue infections in the country is “alarming,” urging the public to be vigilant against the disease and monitor the number of cases.

Years ago, some barangays released hundreds of frogs with the aim of eradicating dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

gsg