REVILLA WANTS OFFENSIVE
VS "ATTACK OF THE AEDES MOSQUITOES"

Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. urged the government to launch an "all out war" against the Aedes mosquito that continues to spread the dengue virus in various parts of the country particularly in Western Visayas, where number of dengue cases almost tripled and is perceived to increase much further.

In a press statement, Revilla stressed that the government should launch a "full force" campaign against dengue, with the Department of Health (DOH) as the lead agency that will coordinate with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the barangay officials to prevent a nationwide dengue outbreak.

The senator explained that while DOH allays fears of a nationwide outbreak, dengue fever is now spreading across Asia and this prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to warn that the region could face the worst outbreak of the mosquito-borne virus in nearly a decade.

Based on the DOH- National Epidemiology Center (NEC) Disease Report, there are 120 dengue deaths recorded out of 11,724 cases nationwide this year, as of July 21. "I think its better that we immediately launched an effective campaign against dengue. We should not wait until we finally have a nationwide dengue outbreak," Revilla said.

He further reasoned out that even the United Kingdom government is considering the threat of dengue in the Philippines after it issued a travel advisory last week warning its citizens against malaria and dengue in the country.

"A nationwide dengue outbreak is likely to occur. It would not only affect the citizens' health but also eventually our economy. Foreign investors and tourist would be discouraged to enter the country because of this virus, "Revilla added.

Revilla expressed much alarm over the disclosure of DOH that dengue cases in Western Visayas increased by 180% compared to last year and also over the reportedly admission of the health department that fogging will not fully reduce the number of the Aedes mosquito, known carrier of the dengue virus.

The lawmaker suggested a close coordination between the DOH, DILG and barangay officials for an information campaign to the residents about dengue awareness. . This includes the relaunching of the "4 o'clock habit", a government initiative that urges the residents to clean every afternoon their surroundings and drain water containers to prevent the spread of the Aedes mosquito.

"Community action will be a big help. Dengue threat continues to harm us specially the Filipino children who are usual victims of this disease," Revilla added.

The senator also urged the DPWH to help in the campaign by cleaning the canals and drainage facilities especially in the already dengue-affected areas.

Dengue cases in Southern Mindanao reportedly rose by 22 percent this year. Zamboanga City is being close watched for possible rise in dengue. DOH has already declared a dengue outbreak in the municipality of Matnog in Sorsogon. Based on DOH records, there is an alarming rate of dengue cases in Southern Luzon . It also noted a 44 percent rise in dengue cases in Caraga region. Local health officials are keeping tabs on at least 16 barangays in the Quezon city .

Over the past weeks, dengue cases in upland Alfonso town in Cavite climbed to 32 over the past weeks, blame to fogging operations in nearby Batangas province. It claimed at least two more lives in Palawan province.

The last major outbreak to hit Southeast Asia was in 1998, when about 350,000 cases were reported in the region, including nearly 1,500 deaths. WHO estimates dengue infects up to 50 million people every year worldwide, mostly in Asia and Latin America .

Dengue hemorrhagic fever is an acute infectious disease manifested initially with fever. Studies revealed that a person can be infected four times by dengue because the virus has four strains, both equally deadly.