According the department, a total of cases was reported from from Jan. 1 to Aug. 13.

The Central Luzon region recorded the highest, with over 21,000 cases, followed by the Central Visayas region in the central Philippines and Metro Manila with over 11,000 each.

Dengue is a viral infection transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes. The primary vectors that transmit the disease are Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and, to a lesser extent, Ae. Albopictus, according to the World Health Organizagion.

Severe dengue is a leading cause of serious illness and death in some Asian and Latin American countries. It requires management by medical professionals.

The number of dengue cases reported to WHO increased over 8 fold over the last two decades, from 505,430 cases in 2000, to over 2.4 million in 2010, and 5.2 million in 2019.

Reported deaths between the year 2000 and 2015 increased from 960 to 4032, affecting mostly younger age group. (ILKHA)