THE Department of Health (DOH) yesterday said over 145,000 cases of dengue have been reported nationwide even as the rainy season is not yet set to end soon.
The DOH’s Disease Surveillance Report showed 145,650 dengue cases reported from January 1 to September 3, or 168 percent higher compared to the 54,298 dengue cases reported during the same period last year.
Regions with the highest number of dengue cases are Central Luzon (27,870), National Capital Region or Metro Manila (14,518), and Central Visayas (12,772).
With the highest increase compared to 2021 are Cagayan Valley (2,151 percent, 520 to 11,706), Zamboanga Peninsula (876 percent, 822 to 8,019), and Central Visayas (684 percent, 1,630 to 12,772).
There were also more deaths reported this year, at 462, or a case fatality rate (CFR) of 0.3 percent. There were fewer deaths in 2021 during the same period, 185, or a 0.3 percent CFR.
Having the most fatalities are Central Visayas (75), Western Visayas (59), and Central Luzon (55).
In a previous interview, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, DOH officer-in-charge, attributed the increase in dengue numbers to the higher mobility in the country compared to the previous year.
“In the past two years of the pandemic, there were less mobility of the population, schools were closed, so as with other establishments,” she said.
“People were at home most of the time, and this contributed to lesser dengue infections,” she added.
