Mayor urges massive clean up to prevent dengue outbreak

Mayor Rocky Ilagan has ordered all barangay officials to initiate massive clean-up activities in their areas of jurisdiction and undertake other measures to prevent the outbreak of dengue hemorrhagic fever, a mosquito borne disease prevalent during the months of July to September.

This after 2 suspected dengue cases were reported to the municipal officials. The mayor said that only the Department of Health (DOH) can confirm if the case is really dengue.

As a precautionary measure, Ilagan said, he has called an emergency meeting with all the barangay chairpersons to enjoin them to do massive clean-up activities. The mayor also informed the barangay officials that the municipality bought a misting machine and several chemicals worth around half a million pesos for the misting operations to be done in all the barangays.

Vice Mayor Marlon Lopez said that the sangguniang bayan (town council) also passed a resolution requesting all the barangays to clean-up their surroundings after rumors of suspected dengue cases spread around town.

DOH reports that cases of dengue fever are expected to soar from July to September considered as rainy season.

Both Mayor Ilagan and Vice Mayor Lopez agreed that cleanliness and sanitation are the chief measures necessary to prevent the spread of dengue fever.  Dengue fever is a disease caused by one of a number of viruses that are carried by mosquitoes. These mosquitoes then transmit the virus to humans. The virus that causes dengue fever is called an arbovirus, which stands for arthropod-borne virus. Mosquitoes are a type of arthropod.  Dengue fever manifests as a sudden onset of a severe headache, muscle and joint pains, fever and rashes.

Meanwhile, Councilor Joemer Sandoval said that he requested the town council to initiate more measures to prevent a dengue outbreak. He said that suspected dengue case have been reported in Aninuan, Tabinay and Poblacion. He urged each household to clean their backyards and make sure that there are no stagnant water which serves as breeding ground for mosquitoes.