In Ecija, sweet potion seen solution to dengue

PALAYAN CITY—Residents of Nueva Ecija are concocting a potion that could be sweet but deadly to mosquitoes in the continuing search for cures and preventive measures against the fatal disease dengue fever.

Dr. Benjamin Lopez, the province’s health officer, said he has disseminated the formula for the antimosquito potion to residents who have had encounters with dengue.

The recipe, said Lopez, is simple. Just dissolve 50 grams of brown sugar and a gram of yeast in hot water and place the liquid in a bottle until it ferments and produces carbon dioxide. “The sweet and sugary aroma (from the concoction) will attract mosquitoes and trap them,” he said.

The liquid, however, has to be replaced occasionally, he said.

He said he started sharing the formula with residents after dengue claimed five lives in the province since January.

Lopez said the fight against dengue in the province has been a year-round activity.

The Department of Health (DOH) in Central Luzon said Nueva Ecija placed second in the number of dengue cases with 1,666 patients. Bulacan topped the list with 2,259 cases while Pampanga had 1,390 cases, Tarlac (736), Bataan (525), Zambales (350) and Aurora (43).

Region-wide, 6,969 dengue cases were reported from January to Aug. 6, 284 percent higher than the same months in 2010, according to the DOH.

Of five cities and 27 towns in Nueva Ecija, Cabanatuan City had the most dengue cases at 495, followed by Talavera with 113 cases, San Jose City with 81, Science City of Munoz with 81 and Sto. Domingo with 52.

Lopez, however, said cleanliness is still the best weapon against dengue. Armand Galang, Inquirer Central Luzon