Health officials in Vigin City, Ilocos Sur, in the northern area of Luzon, Philippines are reporting about 180 chikungunya cases in July and August this year and 241 cases total year to date.
Carmeliza Singson, the provincial health officer of Ilocos Sur said the town with the highest number of confirmed cases is mountainous Galimuyod town with 132 cases followed by Candon City with 69 cases since June.
Health officials did say while dengue fever, a mosquito borne virus transmitted by the same mosquito vector, is up in the Philippines as a whole in 2016, the province has seen 28 percent decrease compared to 2015 during the same period.
Related: Ayoko sa Lamok: Filipino youth’s battle against dengue fever
Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes such as Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. It can cause high fever, join and muscle pain, and headache. The joint pain may last for months or years and may become a cause of chronic pain and disability.
There is no specific treatment for chikungunya infection, nor any vaccine to prevent it. Pending the development of a new vaccine, the only effective means of prevention is to protect individuals against mosquito bites.
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