MANILA, (PIA) — There is a high possibility that dengue cases will still increase in the country even though El Niño has been officially declared due to the increase in public water storage that is infested with mosquitoes, according to the Department of Health.
“Kung titignan parang paradox—merong tag-tuyot eh ba’t nagkaroon ng dengue? (If you look at it, it’s like a paradox—we have a dry season and yet we are having dengue cases?)” asked DOH spokesperson Undersecretary Enrique Tayag.
When there is a dry spell or drought, people tend to save water in containers or vessels which tend to have the possibility of becoming breeding places for mosquitoes.
To avoid this, Tayag advised the public to ensure placing a lid or cover on these containers.
Tayag said that during the 1998 El Nino, there was a dengue fever outbreak in the country despite the fact that people lacked water, attributing it to improper storage of water.
Based on the DOH’s latest epidemic-prone disease case surveillance report, 72,333 dengue cases were recorded from January to June 17, 2023, which is 14 percent higher than the 63,526 in 2022.
There were also 249 deaths due to dengue this year.
Health Secretary Ted Herbosa, for his part, emphasized that the public should be careful against mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, and water-borne diseases such as cholera.
Last week, PAGASA declared the onset of El Niño—a phenomenon characterized by abnormal warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean and below normal rainfall. (PIA-NCR)