DAVAO CITY — The Tropical Disease Prevention & Control Unit of the Davao City Health Office (CHO) is closely monitoring two barangays here as signs and symptoms of the chikungunya virus show among residents.
Pest Control Worker II Melodina Babante, in an interview with the city government-owned radio station Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) on Monday, June 6, 2022, said Dabawenyos should not only be cautioned about the dengue virus-carrying mosquitoes since Aedes mosquitoes can also spread the chikungunya virus.
In a report by Digital Journal it stated that, serious tropical diseases such as the malaria, dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, Zika virus, and others infectious disease is expanding the infected area, it is among the results of global warming when areas of temperature of the earth are expanding.
Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes such as Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. It can cause high fever, joint and muscle pain, and headache. Chikungunya does not often result in death, but the joint pain may last for months or years and may become a cause of chronic pain and disability.
The City Health Office is closely monitoring the barangays of Panacan and Ilang, where the signs and symptoms were noticed.
Though it is not confirmed that it is chikungunya , Babante said, signs and symptoms were observed, a condition which put the villages in their areas of concern.
She explained, chikungunya is not like dengue, a person infected with chikungunya may experience fever with joint pains and is associated with measles-like rashes..
She recalled, that Barangay Ilang experienced a chikungunya outbreak before. This is why confirmatory tests are currently being done to determine the new symptoms found in the barangay, as well as in Panacan, to properly address the problem.
Babante underscored the need for Dabawenyos to observe the 4-S – search and destroy mosquito-breeding sites, employ self-protection (wear long-sleeved shirts and pants and daily use of mosquito repellent), seek early consultation from barangay or district health centers whose consultation services and NS1 dengue detection kits are free, and support fogging/spraying.
Virus-carrying mosquitoes, according to her, have peak biting time usually two hours after sunrise, which is from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. that’s why she urged parents not to let their children leave the house at this time without protection.
Health experts say there is no specific treatment for chikungunya infection, nor any vaccine to prevent it. Pending the development of a new vaccine, the only effective means of prevention is to protect individuals against mosquito bites.
On August 2015, the mosquito borne viral disease, chikungunya, was reported in Northern Luzon and in the city of Ezperanza in Agusan del Sur province, which recorded 50 suspected cases, both linked to issues of sanitation.
The surge in chikungunya infections is being blamed on uncollected garbage.
Health experts say, applying insect repellant prevents an individual against the virus-carrying mosquitos.-Editha Z. Caduaya
