By ERWIN MASCARIÑAS
Correspondent .
OZAMIZ City – The city health office here has declared a dengue outbreak in 10 barangays, with 483 individuals reported to have been infected from January to June. There have been 10 deaths already.
Ozamiz City Health Office identified the barangays to have the highest recorded cases as Barangay Tinago, Maningcol, Aguada, Bañadero, Malubang, Triunfo, Catadman, Carmen Annex, Carangan, and Molicay.
“We have declared an outbreak of dengue fever here in Ozamiz City. This is in reference to our latest disease surveillance reports regarding the rising number of dengue cases in our city,” said Dr. Holly Tago, health officer of Ozamiz City.
Tago said the Department of Health, through the Regional Epidemiologic Surveillance and Response Unit (Resru) and our local disease surveillance officer, has noticed an unusual surge of dengue cases in 10 the barangays.
“Data analysis suggest that if such trend will continue we will be facing a much widespread health problem,”
Tago said the situation is alarming because the number of cases during the first six months of 2018 already surpassed the 2017 figures.
In 2017, they registered 200 cases but from January to June, this year, there were already 483 cases.
She said the DOH helped by conducting rapid dengue tests.
Brixlyjun Go, dengue prevention and control program coordinator of the City Health Office of Ozamiz, said latest larvae survey and monitoring results showed a high percentage of Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes — an estimated 95 percent — in the affacted barangays.
Go said, “That’s why we really need the help of our barangay officials, and work hand in hand with us in carrying out our anti-dengue drive.”
Ryan Rosauro, administrative officer of Ozamiz City, said the city’s dengue problem is alarming.
“I think much of the campaign against dengue concerns public information… Our public messaging is actually calibrated to scare the public about the dangers of dengue so that they act accordingly and seek early intervention,” said Rosauro.
Rosauro said that before 2018, the most number of deaths annually in the last five years are two. “Now, we already had 10 deaths in just six months.”
Rosauro added: “Aside from the 10 barangays that have the highest number of dengue cases, we also have other barangays with one to 15 cases. So, in total, we have around 37 barangays with reported dengue cases out of 51 barangays.”
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