Nine (9) more individuals were tested positive to filaria in Sitios Datal Falan, Coong and Moto Sapang in Ma’an, T’boli during a surveillance conducted by the Mosquito-borne Disease (MBD) Team of the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) last February 4 – 8, raising to 37 the total number of infected persons in said town since January this year. .
The MBD Team headed by Supervising Sanitary Inspector Jose Barroqullo Jr. reported that the 9 individuals were tested positive after conducting Filaria Test Strip where 180 slides were used; 27 slides likewise were smeared for confirmation for the Filariasis Blood Smearing Test.
But for Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) for Malaria, the MBD confirmed that no positive case was found after using 96 RDT kits.
The MBD Team also conducted Mass Drug Administration (MDA) to 749 individuals as part of treatment activity and as a means of prevention, according to Barroquillo, the team conducted Indoor and outdoor residual spraying in 169 houses, 2 schools (Ma’an Elementary School and Ma’an National High School), distributed 200 pieces of Long-lasting Insecticide Treated Nets (LLITN) and conducted information and health promotion drive among residents.
Other activities conducted include pre-natal check-up on pregnant women, de-worming of 25 persons, sputum collection (4 specimens collected), medical check-up on non-communicable disease (15 persons), Operation Timbang (30 persons), and others (110 persons examined)
Just like the previous surveillance conducted at the same area, the team encountered difficult terrain due to heavy rainfall and sitios which were inaccessible hampered their operation.
The next steps they will implement on said areas, Barroquillo stressed, include the conduct of the following activities; indoor residual spraying (IRS), FTS and Nocturnal Blood Examination at Sitio Elsok and Purok Afus in Ma’an, T’boli, MDA at Sitio Elsok, Purok Afus and Sitio Datal Tablo in Ma’an, T’boli, continuous monitoring and surveillance of other barangays and sitios in the municipality of T’boli, intensify mosquito-borne activities and interventions to other barangays in T’boli (health prevention, IEC activities, case findings), treatment-follow-up of children with coryza, and, planting of vitamin C-rich fruits such as calamansi.
The IPHO-MBD Team was supported by the T’boli Municipal Health Office, Department of Health, the province’s Barangay Affairs Unit and Barangay Local Government Unit of Ma’an. T’boli.
