Cases of influenza-like illnesses (ILIs) in Quezon province have surged by 149 percent this year compared to the previous year, the Quezon Provincial Health Office (QPHO) said in a statement Tuesday morning.
The QPHO data showed that the province reported a total of 2,887 ILIs from January 1 to October 20 this year, significantly higher than the 1,157 cases recorded during the same period last year.
As many as 1,382 children aged 1 to 10 were the most affected by ILIs, or illnesses such as cough, cold, and flu, followed by infants under one year with 552 recorded cases, data showed.
The elderly, aged 60 and above, registered 166 ILI cases during the period.
No fatalities were recorded this year in Quezon, the QPHO said.
The QPHO appealed to the public: ‘Be cautious – make it a habit to wash your hands, wear a mask, and get vaccinated.’
However, the Department of Health (DOH) assured the public last week that there is currently no outbreak of flu in the country.
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa explained that the seasonal increase in influenza-like illnesses is not an outbreak, which he said refers to a ‘sudden increase in the number of [influenza cases] in a specific geographic area, such as a community, city, or region.’
The agency attributed the surge in cases to the rainy season, when an increase in ILI is expected./coa/abc