2008-07-20

     MANILA, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Dengue cases in the Philippines
continue to rise with more than 15,000 recorded in the first six months
of 2008, or 43 percent more than the same period last year, according to
a report by local TV network ABS-CBN online news on Saturday.

    The report quoted Health Secretary Francisco Duque as saying 15,061
cases of dengue nationwide were recorded from January 1 to June 14 this
year, with Metro Manila remaining on top of the list of regions with the
most number of dengue cases.

    The other provinces which have the high number of mosquito-carried
disease are Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon all neighboring
Metro Manila.

    But the case fatality rate remained low at 1 percent, which he
attributed to the quick responses of the families of patients and health
workers, said the report.

    Dengue cases have become a year-round phenomenon because of climate
change and concentration of population in urban areas, particularly
Metro Manila, said the report.

    The government has called on local population to clean their living
surroundings and eliminate mosquito's breeding grounds to prevent
spreading of dengue.

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