MOSQUITO ELIMINATION. The Baguio city government is urging residents to remain vigilant in eradicating all possible breeding sites of mosquitos due to a more than 300 percent annual rise in cases as of the end of July this year. It has also placed an online reporting of suspected dengue patients to properly advise families on what to do and to have the necessary information on the situation. (PNA file photo)
BAGUIO CITY — The city government urges residents to take advantage of the online reporting of suspected dengue patients to allow health officials to properly and immediately give needed assistance as cases have risen more than 300 percent.
Dr. Donnabel Tubera-Panes, chief of the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (Cesu), said the online reporting system, put in place last June and could be accessed through https://forms.gle/wjoXFyTm6Mw2hrLZ6, “will boost surveillance and capture all cases, (and) provide medical assistance or advise to the patient if needed.”
The Cesu reported that from Feb. 1 to July 31, 2024, seven deaths due to dengue fever were recorded.
READ: Busting dengue myths
Four of the fatalities were children – a 6-year-old girl from Asin Road, a 9-year-old boy from Irisan, a year-old boy from Country Club barangay, and a 4-year-old girl from Nueva Vizcaya.
The others are a 63-year-old man from Loakan Proper, a 59-year-old man from Cabinet Hill-Teachers’ Camp, and a 38-year-old woman from Dominican Hill-Mirador.
“The patient needs to be attended to at the onset of symptoms. They must not wait until the patient is so weak before they are given appropriate medical attention. If they report because they suspect the patient to be having dengue, they can be advised (on) what to do and if there is a need to rush the patient to the hospital,” Panes said.
READ: UP Baguio scientists aid city execs in tracking dengue cases
The Department of Health, on its official social media pages, said dengue fever manifests symptoms like severe headache, pain behind the eyes, nausea, vomiting, swollen glands, rashes, and high fever.
Severe dengue warning signs, in turn, include severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, rapid breathing, bleeding gums, fatigue, restlessness, and blood in vomit with the critical phase normally about three to seven days after the onset of the illness.
Panes said the city’s other proactive stance includes a public awareness campaign and clean-up drives to eliminate all possible mosquito breeding places.
Earlier, the city government reported that it has a sufficient supply of larvicides that it shares with other local government units in the region to ensure the success of the anti-dengue campaign.
Blue alert
The Cordillera Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council has placed the city and all provinces in the region under blue alert due to the increase in dengue cases, requiring immediate action from local government units.
The Department of Health-Cordillera has recorded a 312-percent increase in cases from January to July 31, where 2,388 cases were logged compared to 580 in the same period last year.
READ: Cordillera on heightened alert due to rising dengue cases
A 229-percent increase in cases was noted during the two to four-week period before Aug. 1.
The most affected barangays are Irisan, Bakakeng Central, Asin Road, Sto. Tomas Proper, Camp 7, Gibraltar, Pinget, Loakan Proper, Pacdal, Middle Quirino Hill, and Bakakeng Norte. (PNA)