MANILA - A doctor at the Philippine Children's Medical Center (PCMC) died due to "severe dengue" while 4 other hospital staff contracted the mosquito-borne disease, the hospital confirmed this week.

An "upsurge of acute dengue cases" has been seen in the hospital since May, PCMC Executive Director Julius Lecciones said in a statement dated September 20.

"This month unfortunately, we had five doctors getting ill as well from dengue, including the fellow we lost," Lecciones said.

"The rest had fully recovered. None received the dengue vaccine," he said.

The PCMC did not mention if several patients also contracted the deadly virus while confined in the Quezon City hospital.

Protective measures, including the use of insect repellents, have been mandated in the hospital since July, Lecciones said.

"We have now intensified not only our early reporting system for febrile episodes among our employees, but also search and destroy efforts against the mosquito vector in the hospital and our immediate outside environment," he said.

The Department of Health recorded some 26,000 dengue cases across the country in the first quarter of 2018.