DOH: PH dengue cases up 153% this year

As of August 6, the Philippines has recorded 118,526 dengue cases this year, marking a 153% increase from the same period last year when there were only 46,761 cases.

The DOH reported that in the past four weeks alone, 29,586 new cases emerged with 64 percent of patients hospitalized, though this is lower than previous hospitalization rates due to early consultations encouraged by local governments.

A total of 399 dengue-related deaths have been recorded from January to August, with the highest number occurring in July (100) and the lowest in August (13).

Central Luzon leads in cases with 21,242 or 18% of all reported cases, followed by Central Visayas with 11,363 cases (10%) and Metro Manila with 10,937 cases (9%).