Monsoon rains that periodically fall over Negros Oriental do not augur well for the public’s fight against the Dengue virus.
The rainwater collected in plants, garbage or stagnant ponds are, after all, breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Figures gathered from the Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit showed that from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, a total of 1,181 dengue cases with six deaths were reported.
Dengue cases in Negros Oriental continued to rise in the 3rd quarter of this year. This is nearly a four-fold increase over last year’s figures.
As expected, Dumaguete has the most number of victims at 515. Bayawan City, 84; Siaton, 63; Tanjay City, 62; Sibulan, 55; Valencia, 44; Dauin, 42; Bais City, 41; Basay, 32; Zamboanguita, 32 and Canlaon City, four cases.
A report from the Philippines News Agency quoted health officials as saying that not a single town or city in Negros Oriental has been spared from the Dengue virus.
Families of these patients will have to spend thousands of pesos just to combat a disease that could have been prevented.
Everyone can do something to prevent Dengue. The small act of turning over or properly disposing an empty sardine can, for instance, could kill hundreds of mosquito larvae that could otherwise have hatched from this small container.
Look around you. You might be surprised to find mosquito wrigglers in your flower vase, indoor plants, kitchen sinks or in your garden. Drying up these breeding grounds could go a long way in saving a life, which could be your own.
