Dengue Outbreak Rocks City

MAASIN CITY – One of the highest out breaks of the dreaded dengue fever has rocked the city.

According to Eusebio Faelnar the IPHO surveillance Coordinator in the province a total of 122 cases have been reported province wide since the rainy season began. He said the highest number of cases were from Maasin City with Barangay Combado topping the list at 16 followed by barangay Abgao which recorded 10 cases.

Although the DOH Provincial Representative to Southern Leyte Dr. Feliciano Matibag denied there was a dengue pandemic. He admitted they were alarmed enough about the situation to send teams around the province to assist RHUs destroy dengue breeding places and to inform the public of preventive measures that could help minimize the number of dengue cases.

Among the dengue victims who were brought to Tacloban for medical treatment was the son of SLT General Manager Ruevivar Reyes and the son of Sogod Mayor Shefferd Tan.

Obviously peeved by reports that the town’s drainage canals were clogged and stagnant and were havens for mosquitos Tan ordered the municipal engineer to dredge and reconstruct the drainage canals to make sure they flowed into the sea.

Concerned residents of Barangays Abgao and Combado in Maasin have also complained to SLT that the drainage canals there were badly constructed and were also stagnant and foul smelling.

When we asked Dr. Feliciano Matibag if they would be fumigating suspected breeding grounds of Dengue mosquitoes he said they had stopped the practice because it was ineffective since the mosquitoes simply moved to a nearby area.

“What we are doing now,” he said “is to dilute the breeding grounds with eco-friendly Sumilarv insecticide to kill the larvae of the mosquitoes.”

He told SLT that 27 of the Dengue cases here were referred to Leyte health facilities like Bethany Hospital, Devine World Hospital, Ormoc Sugar Planters Association Medical Center and the Eastern Visayas Regional Hospital.

Following is the break down of Dengue cases in the province as of July 31, 2010:

Maasin 58, Limasawa 17, Macrohon 16, Malitbog 7, Hinundayan 6, Saint Bernard 5, Padre Burgos 4, San Juan 3, Silago 2, Sogod 2, Pintuyan 1 and, San Francisco 1. (By RUEVIVAR REYES)

Other News

RGM bags transport chairmanship, election shocks LP Stalwarts

No Foul in Swedes Death

Ichon Nun Missing?

Rash of Robberies

Amazing!

Our Rice is Safe-NFA