10,000 dengue cases in first 6 weeks of 2018

A total of 51 deaths were also recorded during the period, bringing the case fatality rate to .46 percent (ShutterStock photo)

MANILA — The Department of Health (DOH) has recorded more than 10,000 cases of dengue in the first six weeks of the year.

According to the DOH Dengue Disease Surveillance Report, a total of 10,980 people caught dengue fever from Jan. 1 to February 10.

“The figure is 41.38 percent lower compared to the same time period last year, which was at 18,731,” the report said.

A total of 51 deaths were also recorded during the period, bringing the case fatality rate to .46 percent.

Majority of the dengue cases were recorded in areas where the mass dengue vaccination program was reportedly implemented.

The DOH recorded 2,503 cases in Calabarzon; 1,964 in Central Luzon; and 1,820 in the National Capital Region.

Meanwhile, all except three regions in the country were found to have a decreasing number of dengue cases.

The three regions that showed an increasing numbers of cases were the Ilocos region, logging a 121-percent rise; Cordillera Administrative Region (55 percent); and Calabarzon (25 percent).

Some 23.4 percent of those who contracted dengue over the period were aged 10-14 years old.