Iloilo working double time vs twin threats of dengue, chikungunya

As the rainy season progresses, health officials in Iloilo province are working double time to battle the twin mosquito-borne threats of dengue and chingkungunya.

The Iloilo Provincial Health Office has alerted Iloilo's local chief executives to take measures to prevent outbreaks, news site The Daily Guardian reported.

IPHO head Dr. Patricia Grace Trabado said 740 new cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever were reported from July 7 to 13 alone, while 15 suspected chikungunya cases were monitored recently.

She said Calinog town had eight suspected chikungunya cases while Concepcion has three, Zarraga two and Bingawan and Passi City one case each.

She also said at least 2,920 dengue cases, 14 of them fatal, had been recorded from January 1 to July 13.

Janiuay town had the most number of dengue cases with 409 including one death. Cabatuan had 273 cases with four deaths and Pototan had 138 cases, the report said.

The report said the provincial government ordered government hospitals in Iloilo to treat dengue cases for free including the taking of blood samples.

Earlier, the Department of Health said chikungunya is not as deadly as dengue but should be treated immediately as it has similar symptoms with dengue.

Symptoms include infection such as fever and rashes, even as doctors are advised to treat such cases as dengue cases.

Health officials have sent serum samples from suspected chikungunya patients to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Muntinlupa City for analysis.

Last year, 25 suspected chikungunya cases were detected in San Joaquin town but there was no confirmation as the RITM lost the serum samples. - VVP, GMA News