Dengue cases in the country continue to increase, especially amid the rainy season, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Monday, Sept. 16.
In a press briefing, DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa reported a 68 percent increase in dengue cases this year compared to the previous year.
“Pag pumasok ang ‘ber’ months, dumadami ang lamok (When the 'ber' months begin, there are more mosquitoes),” Herbosa said, noting that there are more breeding grounds for mosquitoes during the rainy season.
From Jan. to Sept. 6, Herbosa said there were 208,965 reported cases of dengue compared to 124,159 cases for the same period last year.
Herbosa said the DOH Epidemiology Bureau has been monitoring the rise in dengue cases.
“May mga regions na mataas at ang trend, continuous pataas (There are regions where the trend is high and continuously rising),” Herbosa explained.
Last month, he noted that the trend increased by 25 percent over the past three to four weeks.
Herbosa highlighted that there has been more than a 40 percent increase in dengue cases in Regions 3, 6, and 7. A state of calamity has been declared in many areas within these regions, he added.
While there is a notable increase in dengue cases in Metro Manila, Herbosa noted that the numbers are relatively lower compared to the three regions mentioned.
Lower fatality rate
Despite the increase in dengue cases, Herbosa highlighted that the fatality rate this year is lower than last year.
“Hindi tumataas yung mortality (The mortality rate is not increasing),” Herbosa said. “Walang masyadong namamatay sa dengue although libo-libo ang kaso, bumaba ang case fatality rate (Although there are thousands of dengue cases, there are not many deaths),” he explained.
Based on DOH data, Herbosa said the fatality rate has decreased to 0.26 percent compared to 0.39 percent last year.
Good vector control
To prevent further increase in dengue cases, Herbosa underscored the importance of effective vector control, particularly eliminating mosquitoes and their breeding sites.
“Pag kaunti ang lamok, mas kaunti ang magkaka-dengue (When there are fewer mosquitoes, there are fewer cases of dengue),” Herbosa said.
Asked about vaccines for dengue amid the rise in cases, Herbosa stressed that the vaccine does not prevent individuals from contracting dengue.
“It is given to those who have had dengue before to prevent severe infections,” Herbosa said. “Dengue vaccine is not the answer to the dengue outbreak; vector control is,” he added.