Chikungunya cases up 329 percent in Q1
MANILA, Philippines — Chikungunya cases in the Philippines have increased by 329 percent in the first quarter of the year compared with the same period last year, the Department of Health (DOH) reported before the weekend.
Based on the latest Disease Surveillance Report of the DOH, there were 30 chikungunya cases reported from Jan. 1 to March 25, 2023, while only seven cases of the mosquito-borne disease were recorded in the same period in 2022.
The report showed that the four top regions with chikungunya cases are Davao region with 17 cases; Northern Mindanao with five; and Ilocos and Western Visayas, each with two.
Meanwhile, the region that recorded the highest increase from 2022 is Davao at 325 percent, with chikungunya cases jumping from four to 17.
The data from the DOH’s Epidemiology Bureau also showed there were zero deaths from chikungunya this year or last year.
A chikungunya virus is spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito. It causes fever and severe pain in the joints, the World Health Organization said. Severe cases and deaths from the illness are rare.
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