51 died, over 20,000 infected with Dengue virus in Philippines' Western Visayas region in 8 months

By Anadolu staff

At least 51 people have died and over 20,000 have been infected with the Dengue virus in the Philippines' Western Visayas region over the last eight months, state-run media reported.

The region has received 20,814 patients with Dengue fever, a mosquito-borne disease caused by the Dengue virus, with 8,039 cases and 23 deaths in Iloilo province and 3,296 cases and 10 deaths in Negros Occidental, the Philippines News Agency reported, citing the Department of Health Western Visayas.

The Visayas region reported 5,711 cases and 25 deaths in the first eight months of 2023.

“We anticipate that since our dengue cases increased in the previous weeks, we have already distributed our advisory for our hospitals for the management of surge capacity," Dr. Bea Camille Natalaray, program medical coordinator for emerging and re-emerging infectious disease cluster, was quoted by the news agency as saying.

She added that not all dengue patients need to be admitted to hospitals.

Infected mosquitoes transmit the viral infection dengue to humans. There is currently no treatment available for the disease.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid