‘Climate change may cause dengue, leptospirosis outbreaks’

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is likely to experience outbreaks of dengue and leptospirosis due to climate change, a health official said yesterday.

Health Undersecretary Eric Tayag said another outbreak of dengue similar to what happened in the previous El Niño might occur again.

“During the previous El Niño, which is an effect of climate change, there were dengue epidemics, and it is not impossible that it will happen again,” Tayag said.

Aside from dengue, he said an outbreak of leptospirosis is also possible as torrential rains and floodings are becoming more frequent.

Recent data from the Department of Health showed a total of 80,318 dengue cases were recorded from Jan. 1 to July 15 this year.

The figure is 17 percent lower compared to the 96,500 cases recorded in the same period last year.

A total of 2,079 leptospirosis cases were recorded nationwide, the DOH said. The figure is 59 percent higher than the 1,310 infections recorded during the same period last year.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has given assurance that hospital confinement due to dengue and leptospirosis is covered by its health benefit packages.

PhilHealth said it is ready to pay P10,000 for hospitalized mild dengue cases and P16,000 for severe cases.

As of June 5, the state health insurer has paid more than P700 million for 76,000 dengue claims. For leptospirosis cases, PhilHealth has released P19 million for 1,654 patients nationwide as of June 5.

Chikungunya cases up

Meanwhile, the provincial government of Mountain Province has reported an increase in chikungunya cases, another mosquito-borne disease, with 672 infections recorded from January to this month.

The disease causes joint pains and swelling accompanied by fever that lasts three to four days.

A patient infected with chikungunya develops rashes in the face, palms, feet and limbs.

Among the towns in Mountain Province, Paracelis topped the list with 658 chikungunya cases recorded in the villages of Banana, Bantay and Butigue.

Fourteen more cases were logged in the neighboring town of Natonin.

No chikungunya-related death has been recorded in the province as of the second week of this month.

To prevent the spread of the disease, measures are continuously being conducted, especially in areas with recorded infections.

Residents have been advised to continue searching and destroying mosquito breeding sites, wearing long-sleeved clothes and applying mosquito repellents. — Artemio Dumlao