LINGAYEN, Pangasinan - Gov. Victor E. Agbayani urged mayors as well as barangay and school officials to reactivate their respective anti-dengue task forces or brigades as he noted the increasing numbe of dengue patients in the province.

The governor likewise ordered the provincial health office under Dr. Jackson Soriano to intensify its fogging operations and information drive to get as more people as possible actively involved in the anti-dengue campaign.

“It is very important for our people to maintain clean surroundings to eliminate the breeding places of the carrier mosquito,” he said.

As reported by the province’s anti-dengue task force, a total of 122 dengue cases have been recorded since January this year, with four fatalities. One fatality was reported each in the towns of Lingayen, Burgos, Urbiztondo and Alaminos City.

Soriano, however, stressed that the dengue situation in the province is still ‘maneagable’ and that the number of cases has not yet reached ‘outbreak’ level.

“We are closely monitoring the situation in both public and private hospitals in the province,” he said.

Soriano said places where dengue cases have been reported will be given priority in their fogging operations such as the towns of Agno, Anda, Bani, Bolinao, Burgos, Dasol, Mabini, Sual, Aguilar, Lingayen, Urbiztondo, Malasiqui, Calasiao, Mangaldan, San Fabian, San Jacinto, Sta. Barbara, Alcala, Basista, Bautista, Bayambang, Laoac, Manaoag, Pozorrubio, Villasis, Alaminos City, Dagupan City, San Carlos City and Urdaneta City.

He said dengue is a viral disease that occurs all year round affecting all age-groups. It is caused by at least one of four strains of the dengue virus being transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquito that attacks at day time.

Dengue begins with the sudden onset of high fever and may be accompanied by any of the folloing during the illness: headache, chills, weakness, pain in the eye, joint pain, muscle pain, skin rashes, nose bleeding, gum bleeding, vomiting and dark stools.

A sick person can die due to complications from circulatory failure or shock, or from bleeding abnormalities or hemorrhage. These is no specific treatment because it is a viral infection.

A person with any sign of bleeding should be immediately brought to the hospital.

The best way to prevent dengue is to eliminate mosquito breeding sites such as unused rubber tires, flower vases, bottles, stagnant canals, and tin cans; cover all water storage containers and flush house gutters and drainage to prevent stagnation. (Donna F. Domagas/PIO)