BAGUIO CITY – The Department of Health in the Cordillera Administrative Region (DoH-CAR) warned residents in the different parts of the region to be on alert for the expected recurrence of the dreaded meningococcemia virus during the rainy months, thus, people must keep themselves healthy to prevent them from being infected with such disease.

The advisory was issued by health authorities in the light of the on going awareness campaign on the Influenza A (H1N1) virus which is nearing a pandemic level because of the rapid increase in confirmed and suspected cases in the different parts of the world.

Dr. Myrna Cabotaje, DoH-CAR regional director, said the three-year lifespan of the vaccine against the meningo virus will end this year, thus, appropriate information have already been given to the different health authorities region-wide to be on alert for the expected rise in the number of meningococcemia cases.

In 2005, the city suffered a huge setback in terms of tourist arrivals which extended to several months after local officials made irresponsible statements on the presence of a number of meningococcemia cases that caused undue panic among local residents and tourists alike.

As a result, the local tourism industry nearly collapsed because of a sudden drop in tourist arrivals due to fear of being affected with the dreaded disease.

Cabotaje explained that meningococcemia is far more dangerous than the current A (H1N1) virus because of its effect to human beings.

For the past several years, meningococcemia and dengue fever had claimed the lives of a number of Filipinos compared to the A (H1N1) as the latter has still no recorded deaths but is spreading rapidly.