FIFTY-FIVE police officers and their dependents have contracted dengue this year, the PNP said yesterday.
PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil has issued orders for an information drive to remind the police force to take precautions against the mosquito-borne disease, said Col. Randulf Tuaño, chief of the PNP’s Public Information Office.
In a press briefing at Camp Crame, Tuaño said 27 police non-commission officers (PNCOs) contracted the dengue virus while the rest, or 28, are dependents of policemen.
“Based on records from the (PNP) Health, we have 55 dengue victims from January to February 18. Twenty-seven are PNCOs and 28 dependents were affected by the illness. Overall, we have 55,” he added.
Tuaño said at least 45 of the 55 have been discharged from the hospital.
He said the number of dengue cases among police personnel and their dependents increased compared to the same period last year, but could not immediately give figures.
“That is why our chief PNP has given orders to conduct an information education campaign so that our policemen nationwide will know how to avoid dengue,” said Tuaño.
Tuaño said the information drive will be headed by the PNP Health Service.
He urged police personnel to consult PNP Health Service doctors if they experience dengue symptoms.
The dengue virus is transmitted through the bites of infected female mosquitoes, primarily the Aedes aegypti mosquito. The Department of Health said symptoms include fever, rashes, body aches, dizziness and vomiting.
The DOH has recorded an upward trend in the country with 28,234 dengue cases as of February 1, or a 40% increase from the previous year.
It advised the public to keep surroundings clean and free of stagnant water that is the usual breeding ground of mosquitoes, to cover water receptacles, to use insecticide, apply insect repellent lotion and wear long sleeves and pants when possible, and to support fogging in hotspot areas.
