Chikungunya emerges anew in Davao City

DAVAO City—chikungunya cases reemerged here in the northeastern boundary with Davao del Norte, and City Health personnel were already conducting fogging and other control measures against the mosquito identified as the same species that carry the similarly dangerous dengue fever virus.

The City Health Office (CHO) disclosed the confirmation test by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Muntinlupa, Metro Manila of the blood samples from the border barangays of Ilang and Panacan.

The City Information Office quoted Nurse Ernie Cequiña of the CHO Tropical Disease Prevention and Control Unit said the first case of Chikungunya was reported in Barangay Ilang on June 8.

In this week’s batch of blood samples, Cequiña said RITM confirmed two Chikungunya cases in Barangay Ilang which has 16 more suspected cases while results for the suspected 28 cases in Barangay Panacan are still pending.

The City Health said Chikungunya symptoms are particularly difficult to determine with patients usually manifesting symptoms similar to that of dengue fever, which are nausea, pain behind the eyes but with more severe joint pains and early onset of skin rashes.

The CHO Tropical Disease Prevention and Control Unit has intensified intervention efforts to control the Aedes mosquito species, the same mosquito that carries dengue, in the area, it said. Intervention includes awareness drive in the barangays, Aedes larvae surveillance, fogging, and conduct of misting or indoor residual spraying.

Cequiña suggested maintaining the cleanliness of the surroundings, which he said, remain as the best method of preventing an outbreak.

The city, meantime, created on June 8 the Health Promotion Committee (HPC) to take charge of promoting health policies and programs of the city.

Incoming Mayor Sebastian Duterte, who is the acting mayor now, issued Executive Order No. 24 series of 202,2 known as “An Order Creating The Health Promotion Committee [HPC] For The Governance And Implementation Of Health Promotion Policies, Programs, And Activities In the Citywide Health Systems of Davao City” on June 8, 2022.

“The HPC of Davao City shall be created to provide guidance to the City Health Board on health promotion policies, programs, and activities particular or involving the determinants of health and health risk factors,” the EO said.

The CHO shall oversee the implementation and evaluation of said health promotion policies, programs, and activities in the City-wide Health Systems (CWHS).