Publications by authors named "Mariz Zheila C Blanco"
A case report of Japanese encephalitis in Paracelis, Mountain Province, the Philippines.
Western Pac Surveill Response J
July 2024
Article Synopsis
- A 10-year-old girl in Mountain Province, Philippines, displayed severe symptoms, including fever and seizures, and was eventually diagnosed with Japanese encephalitis virus after being hospitalized.
- The case revealed insufficient vaccination coverage in the area, as the child had not received the vaccine for Japanese encephalitis.
- It is recommended to strengthen vaccination campaigns and surveillance systems to enhance early detection and response to similar health threats in the future.
Objective: On 25 July 2022, trainees from the Field Epidemiology Training Programme in Northern Luzon, Philippines were sent to conduct an epidemiological investigation of six confirmed cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among staff of a regional hospital in Mountain Province. The investigation had three objectives: to profile the cases, identify the source and mode of transmission, and recommend prevention and control measures.
Methods: Descriptive epidemiology was used to investigate the outbreak, with the standard case definition issued by the Philippine Department of Health.
Problem: As of 2022, only 49 graduates of the Philippines' Field Epidemiology Training Programme (FETP) were employed by the Philippine Government, emphasizing the urgent need to increase the number of practicing field epidemiologists to better equip the country for public health emergencies.
Context: The FETP-Intermediate Course (IC) curriculum is based mainly on the module of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that was incorporated into the Philippine context. It consists of five 1-2-week lecture series that provide participants with the knowledge and tools necessary to conduct job-relevant field projects.
School outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease in Balungao, Pangasinan Province, Philippines, October 2022.
Western Pac Surveill Response J
September 2023
Objective: On 24 September 2022, the Regional Public Health Unit in Ilocos received a report of a cluster of suspected hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in one school in Balungao, Pangasinan Province, the Philippines. On 4 October 2022, the public health unit sent a team from the Field Epidemiology Training Program - Intermediate Course to conduct an outbreak investigation.
Methods: Active case-finding was conducted at the school.