QUEZON CITY, (PIA) — The Quezon City government announced a dramatic 90% decrease in dengue cases on Sunday, just two months after declaring an outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease.
According to the Epidemiology and Surveillance Division of the QC Health Department, dengue cases fell from 626 reported between February 16 and 22 to just 64 from April 2 to 8. The local government confirmed that 123 barangays have been cleared of outbreak status, though 19 barangays still remain above the epidemic threshold.
Officials credited this significant improvement to the “success of its intensified multi-stakeholder effort to control the outbreak.”
“This continued decrease in dengue cases is very encouraging, but it is not a reason for us to be complacent,” Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said. “While we have already scaled down our interventions in barangays under low alert, we must continue to keep our communities clean and vigilant—especially when it comes to the health of our children.”
Quezon City declared a dengue outbreak in February following a sharp rise in cases and at least 10 reported deaths. Despite the recent drop, targeted measures remain in place, including intensified clean-up drives, fogging, spraying, and larvicide induction in affected areas.
Health centers in these barangays will continue to operate on weekends to ensure uninterrupted medical services. Fever express lanes are also available in all health centers and hospitals to quickly assist those exhibiting dengue symptoms. Free dengue test kits are still being offered.
Barangay health workers are actively conducting pre-clinic lectures, awareness campaigns, and educational forums to improve public knowledge on dengue prevention.
Earlier this month, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa warned that the Philippines could still face a large-scale dengue outbreak this year, with nationwide cases rising by as much as 78% compared to 2024. The Department of Health has launched a nationwide campaign to curb the spread of dengue-bearing mosquitoes.
Common symptoms of dengue include high fever, severe headache, joint and muscle pain, nausea, skin rashes, pain behind the eyes, vomiting, and swollen glands. The DOH continues to urge the public to eliminate mosquito breeding sites and practice regular sanitation. (JCO/PIA-NCR)
