Dengue fever cleanup drive ordered in Philippines

The Philippine government on Wednesday called on all local officials, from governors down to village chairmen, as well as local health officials to conduct cleanup activities in their respective localities against dengue fever. Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo enjoined local officials to conduct search and destroy operations of all potential breeding places of dengue-carrying mosquitoes in their areas of jurisdiction. "Local officials were also urged to enforce environmental sanitation such as dredging of clogged canals, esteros, and other waterways; pruning thick bushes or tree branches; removing or draining receptacles containing stagnant water; and conducting massive information drive on environmental control of breeding sites especially in endemic areas," said Robredo. Robredo issued the directive amid reports from the Department of Health that dengue cases in the country, from Jan. 1 to July 23, 2011, has reached 38,876, or 25.85 percent lower compared with the 52,428 cases in 2010. "Though dengue cases reported this year is lower than the reported cases in 2010, we should maintain our efforts to fight against dengue outbreak in every part of the country," Robredo said, asking local officials to undertake the cleanup drive for the upcoming two consecutive weekends to stop the spread of the disease. Robredo also encouraged the public to commit to self-protection measures such as wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, using mosquito nets and repellents, and consulting a doctor in case they experience symptoms of the disease. Caused by the dengue virus, dengue, or dengue fever, is an infectious tropical disease, symptoms of which include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic morbilliform skin rash.