Cebu ‘generally’ dengue-free

Cebu is generally dengue-free at least for this month, the head of a multi-sectoral task force tasked to stop the spread of the disease in the province said yesterday.

In yesterday’s 888 News Forum, District Dengue Task Force Chairman Dr. Wyben Briones said only one dengue case was reported in the province so far for the month of September.

Based on the Regional Epidemiology Surveillance report as of September 17, the lone dengue case was reported in Alegria town. The cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Talisay had zero cases, Briones said.

Briones, past president of the Cebu Medical Society, said the records are proof of the positive results of the district wide anti-dengue campaign which they launched last month.

In Cebu, Briones said more than 200,000 barangay health workers and nurses helped in the campaign.

“We checked from tip to tip of each barangay, even in Negros. Plus we found the correct formula, the correct agent and methodology to stop an outbreak. Cebu is indeed dengue-free,” Briones said.

At present, the rate of dengue cases fell drastically from more than 200 reported cases in the previous weeks.

DOH also recorded 5,559 dengue cases in Central Visayas from January to May 2013 with 17 deaths or nearly 15 percent of the national figure of 37,895 cases.

Briones said the task force will coordinate with the Department of Health (DOH) which will implement more anti-dengue campaigns on Nov. 9 to 10 and on January and April next year. Correspondent Peter L. Romanillos