NewsDesk @bactiman63

In a follow-up on the dengue fever situation in Zamboanga City, in the southern Philippines, the City Health Office (CHO) reports a total of 866 cases of dengue with 11 deaths since January this year.

Aedes aegypti/CDC

City health officer, Dr. Dulce Amor Miravite said, “There is an impending outbreak because during the past weeks we saw that the cases are increasing.”

Tetuan, San Roque, Sta. Marcia, Mercedes, and Putik barangays have seen particularly high case numbers.

More than half the cases (488) have been reported in children ages nine and under.

Dr. Miravite is advising the public to practice the “4S” strategy–Search and destroy mosquito breeding places; securing self-protection; seeking early consultation; and, supporting fogging only in hotspot areas where an increase in cases is registered for two consecutive weeks to prevent an impending outbreak.

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Dengue is a disease caused by a virus spread through mosquito bites. The disease can take up to 2 weeks to develop with illness generally lasting less than a week.

Health effects from dengue include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, rash, muscle and joint pain, and minor bleeding.

Dengue can become severe within a few hours. Severe dengue is a medical emergency, usually requiring hospitalization.

In severe cases, health effects can include hemorrhage (uncontrolled bleeding), shock (seriously low blood pressure), organ failure, and death.