Bohol records all-time-low

64% dengue case decrease

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol June 27, (PIA)—Dengue cases in Bohol dives to record low in the last three years, registering a 64% decrease from 2,878 monitored cases in 2016, but health authorities are not resting on their laurels.

Such is because in the last year and in the beginning months of this year, five people have died of the dreaded mosquito borne disease.

And in the fight against dengue, simply emptying water containers which had mosquitoes laying their eggs may not be enough.

Bohol Anti-dengue campaign provincial coordinator at the Provincial Health Office (PHO) Leonidas Saniel revealed that “the eggs of the aedes mosquito can stick to the sides of the container and still survive for two to four months.”

Aedes egypti, that infamous spotted mosquito, which bites between the beginning hours of dusk and the late hours of dawn, has been tagged as the vectors for the disease that has caused many lives in Bohol in the past years.

“The moment that container is again filled with water, all it takes is three days, the egg develops into a wriggler and matures into a dengue carrying mosquito,” he warned.

Speaking at the weekly Kapihan sa PIA June 14, Saniel who is a nurse, said instead of just upending the containers, it would be better if people brush its insides to dislodge any egg which has stuck upon emptying it.

Or, chlorinating the water can also do the trick, he added. 

However, after cleaning, it would be ideal when people start to tightly cover the containers, to deny mosquitoes a breeding pond, the nurse and former population control officer suggested.

Saniel also said, the past year’s anti-dengue campaigns may have worked as health authorities have seen the huge decrease in dengue cases since 2015.

The Provincial Epidemiological Services Unit of the Department of Health (DOH) in Bohol reported that dengue cases in 2015 reached 2,872.

This slightly increased by 6 cases in 2016, but with the massive campaign in 2016, by 2017, Bohol only had 1,028 cases, Saniel read from the PESU data.

In the beginning months of 2017, that is from January to June, dengue vases reached 439, with two mortalities, he cited.

By the end of the year, Bohol had a total of 1,028, which, he said is a huge 64% dip from the previous year’s monitored cases.

But two deaths are two, too many.

On this, he said the PHO shifted its advocacy campaign, not any for training, but the proven effective cascading of information to the communities.

With the help pf barangay officials and grassroots health monitors, the PHO brings down its team to barangays with high reported cases of dengue and focuses on the puroks with high dengue affectation, to focus their information campaign and search and destroy operations.

In the beginning months of 2018, he said that Bohol only had 178 cases, but sadly added that there have been three dengue deaths already.

Over this, he reminded communities to always be vigilant and help each other in following the search and destroy, self-protection, seeking early treatment and saying no to indiscriminate fogging operations. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

After emptying the containers, brush the sides and refill with water, and cover it tightly so the mosquitoes can not lay their eggs there, instructs dengue program coordinator Leonidas Saniel, during the weekly Kapihan sa PIA. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)