Philippines’ dengue death toll climbs to 400
The Department of Health has tallied 118,785 cases from Jan. 1 to Aug. 13.
MANILA: The Philippines’ health department said Tuesday that deaths from dengue fever have climbed to 400 this year as the mosquito-borne disease cases rose by 143 percent from the same period last year.
The Department of Health has tallied 118,785 cases from Jan. 1 to Aug. 13. Data showed the Central Luzon region recorded the highest, with over 21,000 cases, followed by the Central Visayas region in the central Philippines and Metro Manila with over 11,000 each.
Six of the country’s 17 regions “have exceeded the epidemic threshold” in the past four weeks from July 17 to Aug. 13, with Metro Manila “showing a sustained increasing trend.”
Dengue is endemic in the Philippines. The water-borne infectious diseases, including dengue, usually peak at the start of the rainy season from July to October due to fluctuating weather conditions, flooding and accumulation of contaminated water. Dengue mosquitos breed in stagnant water like water-filled containers and some plants including bananas.
In severe cases, dengue can cause joint pain, nausea, vomiting, rashes, breathing problems, hemorrhaging and organ failure.
The Philippines declared a “national dengue epidemic” in August 2019 due to an increasing number of people who died from the disease in the Southeast Asian country.
-Xinhua
