Dengue cases in Philippines breach 100,000, with 368 deaths

The Philippine health department said Monday that the number of dengue cases in the Southeast Asian country climbed to 102,619 during the first seven months this year.

The Department of Health said the number of dengue cases as of July-end is 131 percent higher than the number recorded in the same period last year. The mosquito-borne viral disease also claimed the lives of 368.

Data showed the Central Luzon region recorded the highest, with over 18,000 cases, followed by the Central Visayas region in central Philippines with over 10,000, and Metro Manila with almost 9,000.

Nine of the country's 17 regions "have exceeded the epidemic threshold" in the past four weeks from July 3 to July 30, with two areas showing a sustained increase in the same period.

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.