MANILA—The Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday the dengue virus serotype 3 (DENV-3) is to blame for the dengue cases in the Philippines for the last 3 years.
Dr. Chito Avelino, officer-in-charge of DOH's epidemiology bureau, said there are 4 types of dengue, but DENV-3 is the dominant strain of the mosquito-borne disease affecting the country.
DENV-3 and dengue virus serotype 4 (DENV-4) carry the usual symptoms, such as high fever, headache, muscle pains, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea and rash.
Patients infected with dengue virus serotype 1 (DENV-1) will experience pain behind the eyes, while patients suffering from dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV-2) will suffer nosebleed or blood in vomit.
The rainy weather, overcrowding, and mobility are among the reasons attributed to the increase on dengue cases, Avelino said.
Last week, the health department declared a national dengue alert due to the rapidly-increasing number of cases of the mosquito-borne disease in several regions.
The agency recorded 106,630 dengue cases nationwide from Jan. 1 to June 29, an 85 percent increase from the 57,564 reported during the same period last year.—With a report from Bettina Magsaysay, ABS-CBN News