Dengue outbreak declared in Tuguegarao

TUGUEGARAO CITY- The Tuguegarao city council has declared a dengue outbreak here following an upsurge in dengue fever cases in the past two months. The council members unanimously declared the dengue outbreak on September 1 as they expressed alarm over the 323 reported cases of dengue with one confirmed death from January to August 31 this year. Dr. James Guzman, Tuguegarao City health officer, suggested to the council the declaration of a dengue outbreak to allow local officials to pool their resources for anti-dengue measures and to strengthen its information campaign against the disease. City councilors resolved to reactivate the anti-dengue brigades in villages and to ask Mayor Delfin Ting to oblige local government workers to observe the four-o-clock habit and search-and-destroy operations. Dengue brigades would be responsible in ensuring cleanliness at villages to prevent dengue fever, a flu-like illness spread by Aedes aegypti-infected mosquitoes. Latest reports said that Cagayan Valley Region has reported at least 787 dengue fever cases with eight dengue fever-confirmed deaths from January to August this year. Cagayan Province, the site of region-based hospitals, had the highest number of cases at 486; Nueva Vizcaya followed with 165 cases; Isabela, 95, and Quirino, 41. Eight dengue fever deaths were recorded, including two fatalities in Santa Ana town and one fatality in each of town: Lasam and Aparri, both in Cagayan; Jones and Ilagan in Isabela; Diadi in Nueva Vizcaya, and Maddela in Quirino. Health workers have been informing villagers that the dengue-inducing mosquitoes usually bite at dusk and dawn but they may bite at any time during the day, especially indoors, in shady areas, or when the weather is cloudy. Health workers have been advising villagers to clean their surroundings always because mosquitoes prefer to breed where there is stagnant water, such as flower vases, uncovered barrels, buckets, discarded tires, and toilet tanks. — VVP, GMANews.TV