KUALA LUMPUR, August 20 — The Department of Health of the Philippines announced today that the number of dengue cases in the country in the first eight months of 2019 has reached more than 188,000 with more than 800 deaths.
The number of cases reported so far is now double to the 93,149 cases reported last year during the same period.
According to Xinhua, most of those affected are those between the ages of five to nine years of age, making up 23 per cent or 43,000 of the cases.
The central and southern regions of the country are now epidemic zones for dengue.
In July, the Philippines has escalated its alert level to a national dengue epidemic. Millions are believed to be at risk of this mosquito-borne disease.
In Malaysia, 75,913 dengue cases were recorded nationwide at the end of July, with 111 deaths, almost double the 40,320 cases reported during the same period last year, which saw 66 deaths.
Dengue is a painful, debilitating mosquito-borne viral infection found in tropical countries. It causes joint pain, nausea, vomiting and a rash, and can cause breathing problems, hemorrhaging and organ failure in severe cases.
An estimated 400 million dengue infections occur worldwide each year, with about 96 million resulting in illness.
There is no vaccine or cure for dengue. Early detection and treatment for related symptoms are able to reduce fatality rates to below 1 percent.
