EARLIER this month, the Department of Health blasted the siren on the rising number of dengue cases in the country, particularly those in Metro Manila, Calabarzon and Central Luzon.
On Feb. 17, the DOH said there were eight other local government units that have logged “a concerning rise” in the number of patients with dengue, with Quezon City announcing a dengue outbreak after 10 died from the viral infection in recent weeks.
Dengue is a viral infection spread by mosquitoes that causes fever, muscle and joint pain, and rash. It can range from mild to severe, and sometimes fatal.
The first reported dengue outbreak in the Philippines was in 1906, and the first epidemic of severe dengue was in 1953. Authorities now say dengue has become endemic in the Philippines and is a major public health problem.
In the Philippines, children and adolescents are at the highest risk of dengue infection. In the study of 2,103 hospitalized pediatric cases of suspected dengue, 86.1 percent were laboratory confirmed, and over 80 percent were considered severe dengue.
It appears the government’s 4S campaign – “Search and Destroy” mosquito breeding places, “Secure Self Protection” from mosquito bite, “Seek Early Consultation” when signs and symptoms of dengue occur, and “Say Yes to Fogging” as a last resort when there is an impending outbreak – is on the success roll..
From Jan. 5 to 18, the DOH said it recorded 15,904 new cases, which dropped to 15,134 from Jan. 19 to Feb. 15.
The DOH attributed this improvement to heightened public awareness, intensified cleanup efforts, and strengthened vector control measures.
While there is this short-term decline, the overall dengue burden remains significantly higher than last year.
From Jan. 1 to Feb. 15, 2025, the country recorded 43,732 cases, a stark increase from 27,995 in the same period in 2024.
The highest number of cases have been reported in CALABARZON (9,113), the National Capital Region (7,551), and Central Luzon (7,362), with 17 local government units identified as dengue hotspots, the health department stated.
However, the agency stated that the case fatality ratio decreased to 0.38 percent from 0.42 percent last year, indicating improved case management.
LGUs have themselves launched intensive vector control measures and clean-up drives to eliminate mosquito breeding sites,” it added.
The slight downturn has been attributed to heightened public awareness resulting from intensified information campaign by the government against the deadly mosquito-borne disease.
