‘NO ONE IS SAFE’: Dengue infects Iloilo City councilor

By: Emme Rose Santiagudo

DENGUE spares no one, not even Iloilo City Councilor Ely Estante.

Estante failed to attend their regular session on Tuesday after he was confined at Iloilo Mission Hospital in Jaro district due to dengue hemorrhagic fever on Monday evening.

In his Facebook post, Estante said he has been suffering from rashes on the front and back part of his body.

“I rushed at (sic) Iloilo Mission Hospital this evening an hour before my meeting with Mayor Jerry. My intention is to check the rashes on my back and front body. I was advice to be confined because the result of my CBC showed that my platelet count is below normal and was ruled out (sic) that I have a dengue hemorrhagic fever,” he said in his post.

Aside from Estante, the two daughters of Maasin Mayor Francis Amboy were also confined at QualiMed Hospital in Mandurriao district after testing positive for dengue.

The health department has declared a dengue outbreak in all the five provinces in Western Visayas namely Iloilo, Capiz, Antique, Aklan, and Guimaras on Tuesday due to increasing dengue cases in the region.

From January to July 6, 2019, Western Visayas recorded 15,746 cases and 87 deaths, based on the data from Department of Health-Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD)-6

Among the provinces in the region, lloilo province recorded the highest number of dengue cases with 5,327 while Guimaras recorded the highest increase at 1,030 percent.

DOH-CHD Regional Director Marlyn Convocar has warned the public to watch out for the underlying symptoms of dengue.

“Once they experience high fever for two to three days, kinahanglan magpakonsulta na gid sila. The symptoms of dengue include fever for two to three days. After sini madula ang hilanat which is amo na ang rason nga damo gakalamatay kay gasalig sila na nadula na ila hilanat. Pagkatapos sang hilanat, makaexperience sila rashes, stomach pain, fatigue, restlessness and persistent vomiting,” she explained during the web conference on Monday.