Philippines report huge increase in chikungunya cases in 2023
Dengue cases down 26%
Chikungunya
The Philippines Department of Health’s Epidemiology Bureau reports a nearly 400 percent increase in chikungunya cases during the first 10 months of 2023.
From January1 through November 4, officials reported 2,781 total cases, a 396 percent increase compared to the 561 cases reported during the same period in 2022.
No death were reported to date.
Six of the seventeen Philippine regions saw increases of greater than 1,000 percent in 2023 to date: the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) saw a 38,900 percent increase from 2022 to 2023 with 3 cases and 1,170 cases, respectively.
CAR is followed by Cagayan Valley region with a 17,300 percent increase, the MIMAROPA region (3,133%), Northern Mindanao (2,875%), Caraga (2,300%) and the Ilocos region (1,056%).
Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted to humans through the bites of mosquitoes infected with the chikungunya virus.
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The most common symptom is an abrupt onset of fever, often accompanied by joint pain. Other symptoms include muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue, and rash. Severe joint pain usually lasts a few days but can persist for months or even years. Serious complications are uncommon, but atypical severe cases can cause long-term symptoms and even death, especially in older people.
While chikungunya cases skyrocketed in 2023, the Philippines are seeing a decrease in dengue fever cases and deaths this year.
Through November 4, 172,902 cases were reported, down 26 percent compared to the 234,831 cases in 2022.
The country also reported 831 dengue related deaths in 2022 in the first 10 months, compared to 589 deaths year to date (a 29 percent decrease).