The City Health Office (CHO) has announced a dengue outbreak in two barangays in Puerto Princesa City — Buenavista and Cabayugan.
City health officer Dr. Ricardo Panganiban said Thursday that there are more than 20 confirmed dengue cases in Brgy. Buenavista, while they are still monitoring some 16 possible cases in Brgy. Cabayugan.
He added however that no death has been recorded in the affected areas.
He said they are sending teams every week to both barangays to conduct information and education campaigns in order to closely monitor the dengue cases.
“At saka kung may mga kailangang ipa-laboratory, ipapa-laboratory natin. Actually, kami na ang nagdadala sa kanila dito sa bayan, pini-pick up [namin],” said Panganiban.
Panganiban noted that the dengue cases in Buenavista and Cabayugan are actually new because they rarely strike the two areas in the past.
He said since residents in the two barangays are not used to dengue, they were unable to prevent it from affecting the patients.
“Isang factor [na nagka-outbreak in these two barangays is] hindi sila used to nagkakaroon ng cases kaya hindi nila kaagad nabantayan. Unlike doon sa ibang mga barangay na used na sila na may case kaya aware na kaagad. Siguro ito used to have zero or low cases, so hindi nila na-ano (address) kaagad,” said Panganiban.
Panganiban said the dengue outbreak was declared in the two barangays last month.
Panganiban also pointed out that activities of the CHO, such as mistings and information drives to prevent dengue are continuous throughout the year in the city even without outbreaks.
“Ang activity natin tuluy-tuloy iyon hindi lang kapag may outbreak. Tuluy-tuloy po ‘yon the whole year, hidni tumitigil ‘yon. Kaya lang ito siyempre kapag nagkakaroon ng ganiyan, nagko-concentrate ‘yong grupo doon, pero ‘yong activity hindi ‘yon tumitigil the whole year,” said.
