Dengue cases down 61% so far this year

MANILA, Philippines–The Department of Health (DOH) has noted a huge drop in the number of dengue cases in the country in the past eight months compared to the same period last year.

A monthly monitoring report showed that from Jan. 1 to Aug. 16, a total of 49,591 incidences of the mosquito-borne disease were recorded, accounting for a 61.21-percent dive from the figures reported in the same period in 2013. So far, 205 deaths have been reported this year.

According to the DOH National Epidemiology Center’s disease surveillance report, there were 127,861 cases of dengue fever last year.

DOH spokesman Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy said Monday there were many factors that may have led to the sharp decline in dengue cases this year. “Maybe our efforts are effective. The community, too, may have exerted extra effort [to eradicate] dengue.”

Lee Suy told reporters that the absence of a new dengue serotype may have contributed to the decrease in the number of cases in the last eight months. “If there’s no new serotype, the exposure is also limited,” he explained.

“But even if the numbers are low, we should not be complacent because it is still the rainy season. We should just carry on with our efforts to eliminate dengue in our communities,” he said.

Records showed that majority of the dengue incidences were monitored in Northern Mindanao, accounting for 10.13 percent of the cases. The Davao region was next at 9.35 percent; Caraga, 9.81 percent; Soccsksargen, 8.82 percent; and Eastern Visayas, 8 percent.