Hospitals in the Philippines are grappling with a rising number of Dengue Fever patients. Close to 100,000 cases have been recorded in the first 9 months of the year. CCTV’s Barnaby Lo reports from Manila:

Highlights:

• The government’s health department refuses to call it an outbreak yet, but the Philippines has one of the highest dengue infection rates in the Western Pacific region and more than 250 have died.
• Dengue is transmitted through a certain type of low-flying mosquito called Aedes and can be fatal if not detected and treated early.
• Unlike other tropical diseases that spread fast in crowded communities, dengue-carrying mosquitoes can thrive anywhere where there’s clean, stagnant water.
• The government health department says it needs everyone to be vigilant, especially as the El Nino phenomenon is expected to last to next year.
• El Nino can cause problems with the water supply, which leads people to store their water, said physician Lyndon Lee Suy. If the water isn’t stored properly, it provides good breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
• A vaccine for dengue could become available next year.