- Associated Press/Aaron Favila - In this photo taken Thursday, June 9, 2011, a Filipino boy lies on his bed at the pedia dengue ward at San Lazaro Hospital in Manila, Philippines.
Seven people have already died due to dengue in Metro Manila, the Department of Health (DOH) said, as it warned about the disease's dangers even during the hot season.
“We have to be reminded that dengue is perennial throughout the year, even during these very hot season, dengue-carrying mosquitoes are still very much present in our surroundings,” DOH Metro Manila director Eduardo Janairo said.
“That is why we must be vigilant and continually conduct cleaning activities inside and outside our homes so as not to be a victim of dengue,” he added.
Related story: Tawa-tawa not proven dengue cure
Citing records from DOH, Janairo said there had been a total of 2,332 cases admitted from January 1 to April 13 this year.
Though the figure is 61 percent lower during the period from a year ago, the health official raised concern over 25 admissions this week alone.
There have been 452 cases of dengue in Quezon City, 260 in Caloocan City, 150 in Paranaque City, 137 in Pasig City, 119 in Malabon City, and 109 in Valenzuela City.
Also read: Common ailments to avoid this summer
Janairo noted, however, that DOH continuously performs anti-dengue operations like spraying and misting in areas where there is high prevalence of dengue cases.
He added that residents should make the necessary precautions like wearing long sleeves, using repellants, placing mosquito screens on windows and doors.
“The people should not be afraid of dengue because it can be controlled if not totally eliminated and all we need is the political will to do it,” Janairo said.
“And the best way to do it is to make our surrounding clean and make it a habit to ensure that it is tidy at all times,” Janairo said.
By Rio Rose Ribaya | Yahoo! Southeast Asia Newsroom – Fri, Apr 19, 2013
