MEDICAL CARE A child who contracted dengue fever recuperates at a hospital in Ozamiz City. INQUIRER file photo / ERWIN MASCARIÑAS
MANILA, Philippines — The number of dengue cases in the Philippines increased to more than 200,000 with over 800 deaths, the Department of Health (DOH) bared on Friday.
According to the DOH’s epidemiology bureau, a total of 208,917 cases of dengue fever was recorded from January 1 to August 10, which was higher than that of 2018 which saw 102,298 dengue cases in the same period.
The DOH noted that 882 dengue-related deaths were recorded from January 1 to August 10, which was higher than 540 deaths recorded in the same period last year.
Recent DOH records also showed that the number of dengue cases spiked by 40 percent to 12,802 cases reported from August 4 to August 10 this year from 9,149 cases recorded in the same period in 2018.
Western Visayas had the highest number of dengue cases with 36,476 and 166 deaths, followed by Calabarzon with 27,091 cases and 88 deaths.
The health department said the following regions exceeded the threshold for epidemic:
- Calabarzon
- Mimaropa
- Region V
- Region VI
- Region VIII
- Region IX
- Region X
- Region XII
- BARMM
- National Capital Region
On August 6, the DOH declared a national dengue epidemic in view of a rise in the number of dengue cases. /jpv
READ: DOH declares national dengue epidemic