Koronadal Starts Massive Drive vs Dengue

Koronadal City– The local government of Koronadal has launched an intensified “Drive Against Dengue” (DAD) aimed at putting a stop to rising dengue cases, disaster and health officials said.

The program was conceptualized due to rising dengue cases across the city, according to Cyrus Urbano, Koronadal City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC).

Koronadal listed 405 dengue cases since January to date, the highest in South Cotabato’s 11 towns and a city. Four were reported to have died due to the preventable disease.

Under the DAD program, all local officials in 27 villages are directed to clean their respective surroundings, canals, and esteros as well as sites where the dengue-carrying mosquitoes thrive.

Urbano also urged the public to help in the campaign by cleaning their homes and immediate surroundings, dispose garbage correctly, and throw empty containers used as breeding sites by mosquitoes.

Dr. Genevive Aturdido, city health chief, said the public plays a very vital role in ensuring their respective homes are free of mosquitoes that carry dengue virus.

More than 2,000 dengue cases were reported in South Cotabato, with Koronadal having the highest number followed by Tupi, Surallah, Banga and Lake Sebu.

The local government of Tupi has placed the entire town under state of calamity after four deaths were reported due to dengue.

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease caused by any one of four closely related dengue viruses.

Symptoms are mild and can be mistaken for those of the flu or another viral infection. Younger children and people who have never had the infection before tend to have milder cases than older children and adults.

However, serious problems can develop including dengue hemorrhagic fever, a rare complication characterized by high fever, damage to lymph and blood vessels, bleeding from the nose and gums, enlargement of the liver, and failure of the circulatory system. (PNA) LAP/NYP/EOF