Health expert cautions public vs. El Niño-related diseases

A health expert on Friday urged the public to follow measures to prevent El Niño-releated diseases.

In an interview with Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon, Dr. Rontgene Solante, an infectious disease expert, said that food and waterborne diseases such as typhoid fever, salmonella, shingella are prevalent during the El Niño season.

“Yung mga pagkain na hindi maganda ang pagka-prepare because of the lack of water, hindi maganda ang storage — isa iyan sa mga pinaka-common; Hepatitis A is also one of that at tsaka mga viral infections that can also cause food poisoning or food intoxication because of unhygienic preparation (Those food that are not well prepared because of the lack of water, not well stored — that's one of the most common; Hepatitis A is also one of that and besides viral infections that can also cause food poisoning or food intoxication because of unhygienic preparation),” Solante said.

“So marami — bacteria, viral infection, even parasitic kagaya ng mga amoebiasis — isa iyan sa mga common na nakikita natin during this time of the year (So many — bacteria, viral infections, even parasitic like amoebiasis — that's one of the common ones we see during this time of the year),” he added.

Solante also warned that dengue at malaria cases could rise during the El Niño season.

“Dengue is also common because of the climate change na medyo mainit; migration of the mosquito will also be an important factor bakit tumataas ang Dengue sa Pilipinas (why dengue cases rise in the Philippines),” he said.

“Kaya napakaimportante iyong information and awareness sa mga publiko regarding iyong prevention ‘no — iyong maglinis ng kapaligiran kapag ganitong mga panahon para at least hindi at risk exposure doon sa mga lamok na carrying the Dengue virus (Therefore, information and awareness among the public regarding your prevention is very important — you should clean the environment during these times to at least not risk exposure to mosquitoes that carry the Dengue virus),” he added.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) earlier said that the peak of El Niño is currently experienced in the country and is forecast to end this February.

In a televised interview, a PAGASA key official said that El Niño will still persist until May but noted that it will begin to degrade.