Dengue in Philippines

Health authorities in the Philippines issued a national dengue alert on July 16 after more than 450 people in the country had died of the disease since Jan. 1, 2019. Overall, in that time, there had been roughly 100,000 diagnosed cases, an increase of 85% from the same period in 2018.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease which typically causes flu-like symptoms, with fever and joint pain. Dengue infections can progress into severe dengue, which causes dangerously high fevers and internal hemorrhaging, and can be fatal. The World Health Organization recommends taking steps to prevent mosquito bites in areas where dengue is endemic, as there is no cure for the disease.