Philippines: Dengue outbreak declared in Quezon City
The Quezon City Government, through the City Health Department (QCHD), has declared a dengue outbreak as cases continue to surge in the city.
Mayor Joy Belmonte has mobilized all assets and resources and ensured that programs and services are established and accessible for QCitizens to curb the outbreak.
“Our declaration of a dengue outbreak ensures that we are on top of the situation, and we are doing everything we can to protect our residents from this deadly disease, especially our children,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said.
From January 1 to February 14, 2025, the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Division (CESD) of QCHD recorded 1,769 dengue cases, nearly 200 percent higher than last year.
Fifty-eight (58) percent of the reported cases involve school-aged children (5 to 17 years old), while 44 percent are children ages 1 to 10.
Ten QCitizens, including eight minors, have already succumbed to the disease.
“Mga bata ang karamihan sa mga nagiging biktima ng nakamamatay na sakit na ito. Kaya nananawagan ako sa mga kapwa ko magulang na sama-sama nating protektahan ang ating mga anak laban sa dengue. Maging alerto tayo sa mga nararamdaman ng ating anak at manguna sa mga clean-up drive sa ating mga komunidad,” the mayor added.
Translated: “Children are the majority of those who become victims of this deadly disease. That is why I call on my fellow parents to work together to protect our children against dengue. Let us be alert to the feelings of our children and lead clean-up drives in our communities.”
Philippines: Dengue increase reported in Iloilo province in 2025
As a primary solution to address the late diagnosis of dengue, all 66 QC Health Centers will be open during the weekends, Saturday and Sunday (8 am to 5 pm), to accommodate all possible dengue patients.
A fever express lane in all the city’s health centers and hospitals is also established to swiftly attend to citizens with a fever, which is among the symptoms of dengue. Free Dengue test kits are available in our Health Centers and Hospitals.
Barangay Spraying Teams with the guidance of Sanitary Inspectors are conducting chemical controls like spraying and fogging in areas with clustering of Dengue Cases to kill adult mosquitoes, and larviciding is also done in water bodies.
CESD also called on residents to protect themselves from dengue by using mosquito repellant, if possible, and wearing personal protective clothing like long sleeves and long pants, especially for the kids.
Used containers, tires, pots, and other items that collect water should be emptied. Standing water stuck in these items can serve as a breeding ground for dengue-carrying mosquitoes.
Residents should also ensure that there is no stagnant water in their houses or drainage systems.
Pre-clinic lectures, dengue awareness assemblies, and forums are being conducted in barangays to raise QCitizens’ awareness and knowledge about dengue and how it can be prevented.
Barangay Officials and School Administrators are also being briefed regarding the dengue outbreak to ensure their full cooperation.
2nd Mpox case reported in Baguio City, Philippines
Nationally, the Philippines has reported a total of 28,384 dengue infections during the first month of 2025, a 40 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024.
Dengue is a disease caused by a virus spread through mosquito bites. The disease can take up to 2 weeks to develop with illness generally lasting less than a week.
Symptoms from dengue include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, rash, muscle and joint pain, and minor bleeding.
Dengue can become severe within a few hours. Severe dengue is a medical emergency, usually requiring hospitalization.
In severe cases, health effects can include hemorrhage (uncontrolled bleeding), shock (seriously low blood pressure), organ failure, and death.