Dengue cases reached 8,171 from July 6 to 19, DOH says

The number of dengue cases in the country from July 6 to 19 totaled 8,171, the Department of Health (DOH) said Saturday.

This was lower by 33% compared to the 12,166 dengue cases tallied from June 22 to July 5, the DOH said.

However, this does not mean the public should be lax about the threat of dengue, it said.

"Payo naman ng DOH, ‘wag maging kampante sa banta ng dengue—maaraw man o maulan," the Health Department said.

(The DOH advice is not to be complacent about the threat of dengue whether it is sunny or rainy.)

In February this year, the DOH said the number of dengue cases during rainy season may be high. However, dengue may happen all year round.

The DOH again reminded the public to follow the 4Ts strategy — Taob (turn container updside down), Taktak (empty water containers), Tuyo (keep surroundings dry), and Takip (cover containers) — every 4 p.m. to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

DOH spokesperson Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo said last June 30 that the government is aiming to bring dengue deaths down to zero, citing the then case fatality rate of just 0.4%.

To support this, the DOH has expanded dengue fast lanes in hospitals and coordinated with local government units for targeted response efforts in hotspot areas. Medical supplies like IV fluids are also stocked in government hospitals nationwide. —KG, GMA Integrated News