- CHO test 5 suspected cases for confirmation
THE CITY Health Office recorded five suspected cases of Chikungunya–a mosquito-borne viral disease considered less fatal than dengue–in the first 15 days of the year.
During the iSpeak media forum on Jan. 30, Melodina Babante, CHO Tropical Diseases Division chief, said they initially monitored the presence of Chikungunya virus based on their screening.
“Based on the clinical diagnosis, it is really Chikungunya. However, we are still awaiting the confirmation, so we can update the list,” Babante said.
Chikungunya virus is transmitted by mosquitoes, most commonly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, which can also transmit dengue and Zika viruses.
Clinical signs and symptoms are similar to dengue such as fever, joint pain, headache, muscle pain, swelling, and rash. However, the disease has a significantly lower mortality rate since it rarely leads to complications and death.
Babante added the suspected cases are concentrated and are increasing in Barangay 9-A.
To note, CHO recorded 12 chikungunya cases across various barangays in the city in 2024, which also included Barangay 9-A.
While Chikungunya is not fatal, she stressed that keeping the surroundings clean and destroying possible breeding sites of mosquitoes should be observed.
“We have carried out search-and-destroy operations and conducted fogging in the barangay as suspected cases continue to increase,” she added.
