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Meningo scare fades

BAGUIO CITY (Jan 14) — The meningococcemia scare that swept the city the past weeks began to fade here as health officials reported a decreasing trend in the number of cases since January 8.

Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit who was here on Thursday said that if the zero-case continues until January 17, the meningo alert in the city would be lifted soon. The cut-off period is based on a ten-day incubation period which started on the last day a suspected case was admitted.

“It is a good sign that the disease is now under control,” Dayrit told the media in a briefing. He warned, however, on the possibility of sporadic cases and discouraged activities that will bring about crowding of people. The DOH secretary also confirmed that there is one confirmed case in Benguet and no new suspected cases as opf January 6 in Mountain Province.

Local city and health officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the promising trend would continue as the Department of Health (DOH), the National Epidemiological Center and the World Health Organization (WHO) were analyzing data to help determine the effectiveness of measures taken to prevent the spread of the disease.

Meanwhile, the business, education and tourism community gathered a sizeable crowd on January 13 in an advocacy parade declaring that Baguio and its people are safe from the dreaded meningococcemia.

DOH Officials attribute the week-long zero record to the dispensation of prophylactic medicines and the timely tracing of direct contacts of people suspected to have been sick with meningococcemia. # Ramon Dacawi/PIO

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