By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff reporter
Dingras, Ilocos Norte—Officials of this town has placed the “rice granary of Ilocos Norte” under a state of calamity due to the increase of Dengue cases here.
Dingras Mayor Erdio Valenzuela confirmed this as he reported the municipality has recorded 66 suspected cases of dengue since the onset of the rainy season here. A child from the flood-prone village of San Marcelino died recently here due to dengue.
“It was already too late when they brought the child to the hospital,” the mayor added.
At present, he said they are carrying out fumigation activities in Dingras to contain the spread of the disease.
“We have mobilized our barangay officials and barangay health workers to spearhead the cleanliness drive. Our municipal health unit is also on top of the situation to arrest this problem,” said Mr. Valenzuela.
In putting this town as under a state of calamity, the mayor assured they have enough funds to contain the problem.
Some of the affected victims received financial assistance ranging from PHP3,000 to PHP5,000.
The Provincial Health Office reminded all residents in the province to keep their surroundings clean to allow no room for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.
Over the past two years, PHO head Dr. Josephine Ruedas reported that Ilocos Norte has maintained “zero casualty” in dengue until late last month when two died due to dengue virus. The casualties were from the towns of Solsona and Dingras.
"We must be extra vigilant, especially since we are in the period of rainy season,” said Ms. Ruedas.
Meanwhile, the PHO is also conducting of series of fumigation in several affected areas in the province to drive away dengue-carrying mosquitoes.
Ms. Ruedas explained that even just a small cap of bottle can be a breeding site of mosquitoes.
According to the Dengue Disease Surveillance Report of the Department of Health, they have already received reports of more than 10,980 dengue cases January 1 to February 10, 2018.
They have also recoded a total of 51 deaths for 2018, the DOH report added.
But the number of dengue cases is still 41.38 percent lower than the 18,731 cases reported within the same period last year, the report said.
The report also showed that 23 percent of those afflicted with dengue were 10-14 years old.