This was disclosed by Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit as the Department of Health (DOH) observes Dengue Awareness Month this June, stressing that good hygiene and proper disposal of possible breeding sites of mosquitoes can help prevent the spread of dengue fever in the country.
Dayrit said mosquitoes, including the dengue virus-carrying Aedes Aegypti, are attracted to human sweat and stench, hence, people who sweat a lot are bitten more frequently than those who don’t.
"Mosquitoes are attracted to specific types of smell, like sweat. They are particularly attracted to it so they bite more frequently," he said.
Dayrit added that they are expecting dengue to make another big comeback this year, noting there are signs that the 1998 epidemic may be repeated, or even a worse episode may occur.
He said warning signs are already evident, one of which is the 50-percent increase of dengue cases during the first five months of the year compared to the same period last year.
"About 3,000 cases were reported nationwide from Jan. 1 to May 30, including 27 deaths," he said. The patients’ ages ranged from one month to 88, with the majority in the 1 to 9 age bracket.
Dayrit said they expect 2001 to be a big year for the viral disease because of its three-year cycle of increased transmission. He said dengue fever cases reach epidemic proportions every three years, the last being in 1998.
"After a big year for dengue, many people get immunized because of the infection but after two years or so, there would be more people becoming susceptible to the disease, hence, another epidemic occurs," he said.