by Larry Lopez

TABUK, Kalinga (16 October) -- The Provincial Epidemic Surveillance Unit of the Provincial Health Office here confirmed that dengue is now controlled in the province.

PESU Officer Jose Pardito Jr. said dengue in the province is now declared controlled after its significant decline over the past two months with only six cases reported from September to October.

Pardito, who made constant inspections in affected areas, attributes the decline in dengue cases to the increased awareness of people that the better alternative against the disease is eradication of mosquito breeding areas, and not through fogging.

He said this is the major factor why there was no death case from dengue in Kalinga this year, compared to the seven deaths last year. There was no fogging operation conducted this year, not even in Sitio Bulo of Tabuk, where there was an earlier report of dengue upsurge.

The positive attitude of people in cleaning their surroundings of possible breeding sites contributed to the relatively lower cases of dengue of only 142 from January-August, compared to 325 cases for the same period last year. The PESU observed that there is a climb in dengue cases during the months of June-July, the peak season for the rains.

‘But we have seen how dengue can be eliminated even with the rains, if only we are sincere in our efforts of eliminating their breeding places, If there is no breeding place, there will be no mosquito, and it follows, that there will be no dengue,’ Pardito said.