Health office  declares Dengue

outbreak for Zamboanga City

 

By  Letty Militante

 

The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (ZCDRRMC)has declared dengue outbreak following city exceeded dengue epidemic threshold for four (4) consecutive weeks in this city.

 

Records showed that from January 1 to April 2,2022, total dengue cases climbed to 893 with 11 mortalities .

 

Chief Dr. Ivy Iturralde of the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit during the CDRRMC meeting held last Friday reported that 85 dengue cases were reported for morbidity week 13 which is 963% higher compared to the same period in 2021 when dengue outbreak was also declared, and 257% higher from the 5-year average (2017-2021) of 24 cases, same time period.

 

Iturralde further revealed that Dengue incidence rate per 100k population in the city is peg at  99.64 .

 

From the total 98 barangays from the  East and West Coast of the city the  barangays with the highest incidence rate per 10k population are Boalan, Divisoria, Mercedes, Pasobolong and Culianan.

 

This also include  Zambowood, Sta. Barbara, Putik, Sta. Maria and San Roque.

 

According Iturralde , there is a dengue epidemic in Zamboanga City based on the analysis of threshold levels of dengue cases and confirmatory laboratory results.

 

“The city already exceeded epidemic thresholds for four consecutive morbidity weeks,” Iturrlade said .

 

Iturrlade said that thespecimens sent for confirmatory test in RITM revealed 15 were positive results for dengue serotype 1 and 1  for dengue serotype 4.

 

It will be recalled that the  city has previously experienced 2 dengue epidemics within the last ten years

And the  latest was 3 years ago wherein it was also a nationwide outbreak.

 

As this developed, the CDRRMC resolution will be forwarded to the City Council for appropriate action.(Letty M.Militante)