VIGAN CITY – Eight persons have died from dengue fever in Ilocos Sur in the last nine months ending September 15 this year.
Rogelio Varilla, Provincial Malaria and Dengue Officer however cautioned the people not to panic because the deaths occurred in separate areas of the province.

He said the casualties, mostly children, were from Vigan City, San Juan, Bantay, Sta. Catalina, Caoayan, Narvacan, Sta. Maria and Santiago towns.

“As of second week of September, the occurrence of dengue fever in the province is not yet alarming because the casualties were from separate places in the province,” according to him.

He said they will only consider an outbreak when a clustered area in massively affected.

He said in order to prevent more dengue cases, they are conducting a provincewide drive to educate the people on the 4 “S” strategy to avoid dengue.

He disclosed that “4 S” means: Search and destroy of the breeding places of mosquitoes; Self protection measures by wearing long sleeves shirt, mosquito nets and fly-repellant; Seek early consultations specifically when fever occurs; and Say “no” to indiscriminate fogging which is only advisable when dengue outbreak occurs in an specific place.

“We are intensifying the environmental sanitation through massive community participation considering the fact that this is the most effective and most economical way to control and prevent the spread of the dengue virus,” he added.

In 2006, the Ilocos Sur’s Provincial Health and Technology Office (PHTO) recorded a total of 181 dengue cases with only three casualties.

That year, Candon topped 24 towns of Ilocos Sur with 45 recorded cases; Santiago, 29 cases including two casualties; Tagudin, 16 cases; Alilem, also 16, including one casualty; and the rest recorded below 10 cases.