TABUK CITY, Kalinga – In 2021, City Health Office (CHO) recorded 17 cases of Dengue Disease which leapt to 188 cases as of Monday, June 5, 2022.
Dengue fever is endemic, however it is especially prevalent during rainy seasons. According to CHO Dengue Coordinator Mia Diasen, the likely causes of the outbreak are people refusing to seek medical advice for fear of contracting COVID-19 through swabbing, or they were extra cautious during the virus surge, staying locked-in at home and keeping the surroundings clean, resulting in a smaller dengue outbreak.
At this writing, all age groups and barangays are affected in Tabuk with Bulanao having the most dengue patients.
Information campaigns are currently being conducted by CHO on a variety of channels, including radio interviews and social media posting, advising barangay officials of some of their counterparts’ preventive efforts to limit the growth of the dengue-carrying mosquitos, such as clean-up drives, among others.
If symptoms persist, Diasen advised the Tabukeños to avail of their free check-up in the nearest rural health units which are equipped with dengue-testing kits, “Tapnu maamwan ken maikkan advice nga dagus,” she said.
Diasen also reiterated the bare minimum of the shared responsibility of the CHO and the community, like keeping the environment clean, the use of insect repellents, and the removal of any space and container that can hold unnecessary stagnant water.
By Rio Dongcayan Bassong