The country has logged 149 cases of mosquito-borne chikungunya so far for this year.
Based on the latest surveillance report, the DOH said that the 149 chikungunya cases were recorded from the period of Jan. 1 to June 11.
The figure is 263 percent higher as compared to the 41 cases recorded during the same period last year.
Most of the chikungunya cases were recorded in Calabarzon with 49 cases.
It was followed by Central Visayas with 38 cases, Davao Region with 25, Western Visayas with 15, and Soccsksargen with seven cases.
Based on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chikungunya virus is “primarily transmitted to people through the bite of an infected mosquito, mainly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.”
“The most common symptoms of infection are fever and joint pain. Other symptoms may include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash,” it added.