Urging the government to revisit the policy of using dengvaxia vaccine against dengue amid rising cases of the disease in the country, Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin said the mosquito-borne infection was “made and discovered” in the Philippines. This is unproven.
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In Southeast Asia, the first epidemic outbreak of dengue was reported to have occurred in the Philippines in the 1950s. WHO described this outbreak as severe dengue, or dengue hemorrhagic fever, which affected many children. Severe dengue causes serious bleeding, organ impairment, respiratory distress, among other flu-like symptoms.
BACKSTORY
On July 11, the Department of Health reported over 64,000 dengue cases from Jan. 1 to June 25, registering a 90% increase from the agency’s record in 2021.
While there remains no cure for dengue, physician Arthur Roman, an infectious disease specialist at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, reminded the public to use insect repellents and mosquito nets (kulambo) when sleeping, cover water containers where mosquitoes could breed, and get rid of stagnant water sources to prevent infection.
Editor’s note: This article was updated to correct the date of publication of the WHO study. The original version stated it was in 1996, when it should be 1993. We apologize for the mistake.
This article was again updated on Aug. 3, 2022 to reflect the video fact check.
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Sources
CNN Philippines Official Youtube Channel, Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin | The Source, July 13, 2022
Department of Health, Health Advisory: Dengue, Accessed July 13, 2022
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Is it Chikungunya or Dengue?, Oct. 14, 2015
World Health Organization, Chikungunya fact sheet, Sept. 15, 2020
The Pharmaceutical Journal, Dengue fever and chikungunya: identification in travellers, May 8, 2015
National Library of Medicine (Clinical Microbiology Reviews), Dengue and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever, July 1998
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease), Dengue and Zika Viruses: Epidemiological History, Potential Therapies, and Promising Vaccines, Sept. 23, 2020
National Library of Medicine (Emerging Infectious Diseases), Dengue/dengue hemorrhagic fever: the emergence of a global health problem, April – June 1995
The Public Library of Science (Neglected Tropical Diseases), Epidemiology of Dengue Disease in the Philippines (2000–2011): A Systematic Literature Review, Nov. 6, 2014
World Health Organization, Dengue and severe dengue, Jan. 10, 2022
Philstar.com, DOH logs 64,797 dengue cases, up 90% from 2021, July 11, 2022
GMA News Online, DOH: Philippines’ dengue cases up 90% this year at 64,797, July 11, 2022
Inquirer.net, Dengue cases hit nearly 65,000 from January to June 25; 90% up from last year, July 11, 2022Research Institute for Tropical Medicine Official Facebook Page, RITM Live: Ask the Expert (Episode 04) feat. Dr. Arthur Dessi Roman, June 9, 2022
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