February 18 ------ Aside from Quezon City, eight more areas in the country may announce a dengue outbreak soon amid the rise of cases in recent weeks, the Department of Health (DOH) said. DOH spokesperson Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo refrained from disclosing the eight areas, but said they are located in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon. “Sa loob ng tatlong rehiyon na 'yun, may siyam na local government units [na may pagtaas ng cases], isa do’n si Quezon City,” Domingo said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.
Quezon City officials on Saturday declared a dengue outbreak amid a steep rise in cases and at least 10 deaths due to the virus this year. Among the fatalities, eight were minors. From January 1 to February 14, 2025, the QC City Epidemiology and Surveillance Division recorded a total of 1,769 cases in the city—nearly 200% higher than last year.
Nationwide, an upward trend has been observed in dengue cases this year with 28,234 cases as of February 1. This translated to a whopping 40% increase from the same period last year. The cases jumped by 8% alone from January 5-18 with 15,088 cases, compared to the 13,980 cases from December 22, 2024 to January 4, 2025. Despite this, the DOH said that the case fatality rate of dengue is still at 0.35%.
Domingo explained that even though it’s not raining that much lately, the stagnant water accumulated from previous weather systems become breeding grounds for mosquitoes carrying dengue. He also said that one of the most common symptoms of dengue is a sudden high-grade fever that may reach approximately 40 °C. “Kunwari, biglang gumaling ang lagnat after mga 4 or 5 days-, minsan doon tayo mas mag-ingat eh. Ang pattern ng dengue fever, tataas 'yan nang napakataas tapos babagsak. Tapos kapag nawala na 'yung lagnat, saka lalabas ang tinatawag na warning signs—pagdurugo ng gilagid, pagpapantal, pag-iba ng kulay ng dumi—which is already an advanced stage, ibig sabihin nagdurugo na sa loob ng katawan,” he added.
Dengue symptoms start 4 to 10 days after exposure from a mosquito bite, with most cases getting better in 1 to 2 weeks. Regardless, infectious disease expert Dr. Rontgene Solante said the public should not hesitate to go to the hospital if they are experiencing dengue symptoms. Dr. Rolando Cruz, chief epidemiologist of QC Epidemiology and Surveillance Division, had also said that late consultations from dengue cases remain to be a challenge for healthcare professionals in the city. In a barangay in Mandaluyong City, local officials have put up a P1 reward for every mosquito or larva caught or killed in response to the increasing dengue cases in the area.
Source: gmanetwork.com
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