FILE PHOTO: Mosquito carries dengue. The Department of Health (DOH) is inclined to declare a dengue outbreak in the Philippines as the current number of cases may have already reached 鈥渙utbreak levels,鈥� according to Secretary Teodoro Herbosa. 黑料社 stock images
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The Department of Health (DOH) is inclined to declare a dengue outbreak in the country as the current number of cases may have already reached 鈥渙utbreak levels,鈥� according to Secretary Teodoro Herbosa.
In a press conference on Monday, the DOH chief was asked if the time to announce a dengue outbreak in the Philippines had now come, to which he replied:
鈥淚bang [press conference] 鈥榶an mag-de-declare din ako ng dengue outbreak.鈥�
(That鈥檚 for a separate press conference. I will declare a dengue outbreak.)
鈥淏ased on my conversation with the Epidemiology Bureau director, pang outbreak levels na ang ating dengue,鈥� he added without providing more details.
(Based on my conversation with the Epidemiology Bureau director, our dengue cases have already reached outbreak levels.)
READ: DOH: Fewer dengue-related deaths in 2024 despite rise in cases
Based on the latest data from DOH, the country鈥檚 dengue cases stood at 136,161 from Jan. 1 to Aug. 3, which is 33 percent higher than the 102,374 cases recorded in the same period last year.
It, however, also said that dengue-related deaths during the same period reached 364, lower than the 401 deaths logged in the same period last year.
The DOH reminded the public again to follow the 4S strategy 鈥撯�淪earch and Destroy鈥� mosquito breeding places, 鈥淪ecure Self-Protection鈥� from mosquito bites, 鈥淪eek Early Consultation鈥� when signs and symptoms of dengue occur, and 鈥淪ay Yes to Fogging鈥� 鈥� to fight dengue.