JAPANESE ENCEPHALITIS POSITIVE. Antique records six confirmed cases of Japanese encephalitis (JE) as of June 2, 2023. The Antique Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) reiterated the need for a massive cleanup to eliminate mosquito vectors. (PNA photo courtesy of the Department of Health Western Visayas Center for Health Development)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – The Antique Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) reiterated the need for a massive cleanup to eliminate mosquito vectors following the six confirmed cases of Japanese encephalitis (JE) in the province as of June 2.
IPHO Provincial Epidemiological and Surveillance Unit (PESU) coordinator Mark Solis said in an interview Wednesday that the Research Institute on Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Metro Manila, through the Department of Health Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH WV CHD), had confirmed that six of 93 specimens from Antique were positive of JE.
Solis said 30 others were found negative for JE while 57 have pending results.
“We had been sending specimens for laboratory testing since January 2023 and we received the results only on June 2 with six confirmed cases,” he said.
Solis said the town of Hamtic has three confirmed cases while the municipalities of Barbaza, Sibalom, and Libertad recorded one case each.
“All the cases have now been discharged from the hospitals,” he added.
JE is transmitted to an individual through the bite of an infected Culex mosquito that usually thrives in rice-growing and pig-farming regions.
Among its symptoms are fever, seizure, and loss of consciousness.
“We advise the public to get rid of the stagnant waters that could be breeding places for these mosquitos,” Solis said.
The Department of Health Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH WV CHD) on Tuesday said it has already distributed logistics for vector control to provinces and highly urbanized cities in the region, while it enhances surveillance for acute meningitis encephalitis syndrome and continuously strengthens the campaign for the 4S strategy.
4S stands for Search and destroy breeding places, Self-protection measures, Seek early consultation, and Say yes to indoor residual spraying. (PNA)
