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Dengue cases in Iloilo surge to 2,193

ILOILO – The Provincial Health Office (PHO) recorded 2,193 dengue cases – with six deaths – last year from Jan. 1 to Dec. 22.

The municipality of Dumangas had the most number of cases at 232 but with no deaths, said PHO chief Dr. Patricia Grace Trabado.

The Dumangas dengue patients immediately sought medical help so their illness did not worsen, she said.

Dengue hemorrhagic fever is an acute mosquito-borne viral infection that affects infants, young children and adults.

The symptoms, which usually begin four to six days after infection, include sudden, high fever, severe headaches, pain behind the eyes, severe joint and muscle pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, skin rash which appears two to five days after the onset of fever, and even mild bleeding (such a nose bleed, bleeding gums, or easy bruising).

The nine other towns with the highest number of dengue cases were Janiuay (171, with two deaths), Ajuy (151, with two deaths), Calinog (130, with one death), Passi City (107), Oton (103), Pototan (95), Pavia (90), Sara (77), and Leganes (61).

The 2018 dengue cases were 65 percent higher than the 2017 cases, said Trabado.

PHO recorded 1,331 dengue cases with eight deaths in 2017. Oton had the most number of cases (107) followed by Passi City (104).

The PHO expects the number of cases of further increase this year.

Every three years Iloilo province experiences a surge in dengue cases, according to Trabado.

Iloilo last experienced a dramatic rise in cases in 2016 – 9,381 cases with 22 deaths.

Trabado stressed the importance of observing the 4S strategy in combatting dengue:

* search and destroy mosquito breeding places

* self-protection measures

* seek early consultation for fever lasting more than two days

* say “no” to indiscriminate fogging

Trabado also urged barangay officials to take the lead in implementing the Barangay Kontra sa Dengue program – a community-based mass cleaning program targeting the breeding grounds of dengue mosquitoes.

Dengue mosquitoes Aedes albopictus and Aedes egypti live and breed in clear, stagnant water.

Towns with the least number of dengue cases were Tubungan (one), Igbaras (four), Banate (10), Guimbal (13), and Barotac Viejo (16), said Trabado.

All the 43 municipalities and the lone component city of Passi in this province have dengue cases, PHO data showed.

It was announced just this November 2018 that Western Visayas was one of three pilot regions for the rollout of a new and locally developed technology for diagnosing dengue.

Biotek-M, rapid dengue test kit, had been approved for clinical use by the Food and Drug Administration, according to Dr. Raul V. Destura, the molecular microbiologist who developed this new dengue test.

This locally developed technology was also less costly, he added.

“I am very proud that the Department of Health is adopting it. We were here a couple of months ago kasi tini-train namin ang mga medical technologists ng Western Visayas,” said Destura who spoke at the 3rd Western Visayas Health Research Conference held in Iloilo City on Nov. 7.

The development of Biotek-M was fully funded by the government through the Department of Science and Technology and University of the Philippines.

The rapid dengue test kit is intended to reach marginalized sectors, particularly via barangay health centers, according to Destura.

The two other pilot regions for Biotek-M were the Ilocos Region and the Zamboanga Peninsula./PN

PHL healthy, indigenous vegetables identified

LOS BANOS, Laguna—There are many nutritious vegetables in the Philippines. And to increase the consumption of healthy and safe vegetables in the country, indigenous vegetables were documented in a project being implemented by the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB). Among those identified were himbabao, pako, lubi-lubi, lagikway and gabi. A total of 104 indigenous vegetables have been documented in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Capiz, Iloilo and South Cotobato, while another 55 plant species are for verification. Prof. Nestor C. Aitoveros of the Institute of Crop Science, College of Agriculture and Food Science of UPLB, and his team documented the indigenous vegetables from the different parts of the country, to discover how Filipinos utilize them as food. He also reported the intraspecific variation of roselle, amaranthus, lima bean and lupo in the provinces. Aitoveros added that his team has collected 73 literatures from various sources and found that more than 208 species belonging to 100 genera are indigenous and are being utilized as food in the Philippines. Renelle C. Yebron, interim head of the Monitoring and Evaluation Sub-Section of Crops Research Division of Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD), congratulated the_project team for the recent successful launching of the publications. To feature the project’s outputs and to showcase the different indigenous vegetables in the country, social-media accounts were launched. The collected information is stored in two database management systems developed by the team consisting of primary and secondary data in production, conservation, utilization, and national and local literatures on indigenous vegetables. The outputs of the project are expected to contribute to one of the goals of the Industry Strategic S&T Program to increase consumption of healthy and safe vegetables in the country. The project is funded by the Department of Science and Technology-PCAARRD.

PDEA to initiate study on medical marijuana

(The Philippine Star) – December 22, 2018 – 12:42am

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) will initiate a study on medical marijuana amid some “misinformation” on its use.

PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said the agency will spearhead the study on the use of marijuana for medical purposes in the local context.

Aquino said the study is needed amid talks about its possible legalization in the country.

“So far I have not seen any research or study in the Philippines. We cannot depend on the study of other countries. In doing so we inform the people. A lot of people are misinformed about medical marijuana,” he said.

The PDEA chief said some suspects arrested for the selling, possession and use of marijuana have claimed that they use the illegal drug for the treatment and prevention of diseases, which include cancer and even psoriasis.

The anti-narcotics agency plans to tap the University of the Philippines College of Medicine, the Department of Science and Technology, the Dangerous Drugs Board, the Department of Health (DOH) and other stakeholders in the study.

DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III has warned government officials and the public to be cautious on the issue of medical marijuana.

RA 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act and a DDB resolution allowed the use of medical marijuana that covers its active ingredient cannabinoid and not the plant, “under specific circumstances.”

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Dengue cases in Iloilo surge to 2,193

PHL healthy, indigenous vegetables identified

PDEA to initiate study on medical marijuana

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