MANILA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) said on Monday that the number of dengue cases recorded from Jan. 1 to June 18 this year was 58 percent higher than the cases recorded in the same period last year.
The DOH said 239 people have died from the mosquito-borne disease so far.
The Central Luzon region, north of Manila, recorded the highest cases of 6,641, followed by the Central Visayas region in central Philippines with 6,361, and the Zamboanga Peninsula in southern Philippines with 4,787.
The health department urged the public to destroy mosquito breeding places to protect themselves.
Dengue usually peaks at the start of the rainy season from July to October due to fluctuating weather conditions, flooding, and accumulation of contaminated water.
Mosquitos breed in stagnant water like water-filled containers and some plants like bananas.
In severe cases, dengue can cause joint pain, nausea, vomiting, rashes, breathing problems, hemorrhaging and organ failure.
The Philippines declared a "national dengue epidemic" in August 2019 due to an increasing number of people who died from the disease. ■