Nearly 9,000 patients have become afflicted with dengue during the first half of the year, the Department of Health (DoH) reported adding that 86 Filipinos have perished from this mosquito-borne disease in its latest surveillance update on the disease.

A total of 8,442 dengue cases were admitted in DoH-sentinel hospitals nationwide from January to May 31, the National Epidemiology Center (NEC) Public Health Surveillance and Informatics Division of the DoH reported.

This figure is 48.1 percent lower than the figures on the same period last year. The youngest dengue patient registered is an infant less than a month old and the oldest is 93 years old. Majority of the cases were males and seventy percent of the cases belonged to the one to 20 years age group.

Health officials are closely monitoring the areas of Manila and Quezon City, two areas in the National Capital Region (NCR) that posted the highest number of dengue cases in the Department of Health (DoH) dengue surveillance report covering May 17 to 23.

The 20th morbidity week surveillance update of the DoH-NEC registered the city of Manila as the city with the most number of dengue cases at 408 with one death followed by Quezon City with 378 cases and five deaths. However, Manila's dengue incidence is 59 percent lower than last year's figure at 865 and Quezon City is 52 percent lower at last year's 789 cases.

But the Department of Health (DoH) said the public should not be complacent about this as the illness may climb during the rainy season.

Apart from Manila and QC, Caloocan was also identified as one of the top cities with the most number of dengue cases at 162 and two deaths; Navotas with 157 cases with no death and Paranaque with 128 cases and two deaths.

In the recent launch of the nationwide anti-dengue campaign, DoH Secretary Francisco T. Duque III emphasized that dengue is more ‘fatal’ than the influenza A (H1N1).

He said the Case Fatality Ratio (CFR) of A (H1N1) is less than one percent compared to dengue's CFR of one percent.

Symptoms of dengue include sudden onset of high fever for 2 to 7 days, joint and muscle pains, pain behind the eyes, weakness, and red and tiny spots in the skin that evolve into rashes.

Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, Infectious diseases specialist of the DoH said the public should continue to implement the 4-S strategy in destroying the breeding sites of mosquitoes. This is the Search and Destroy strategy, Self-protection, Seek early treatment and Say no to indiscriminate fogging.

According to experts, dengue mosquitoes breed on clean and stagnant water such as flower vases, old tires and tin cans.

The DoH named the regions with the highest number of dengue cases: NCR (1,935); Davao region (1140); CALABARZON (1,043); Central Visayas (633); Western Visayas (556).

In Manila, the following towns have the most number of infections: Sampaloc and Tondo.

In Quezon City, the towns of Commonwealth, Bagumbayan, Novaliches, Krus na Ligas, Payatas, Project 2, San Roque and Tandang Sora had the highest number of dengue cases.

Makati, Navotas, Taguig and Pasig City were also found to have clustering of dengue cases.

Other dengue hotspots within the past four weeks are Bulacan, Negros Occidental, Iloilo, Davao Del Sur, South Cotabato and Surigao del Sur.