Feb 15, Kathmandu- A dengue outbreak has spread to Quezon City, the most populous city in the Philippine capital, Manila.

The mayor of Quezon on Saturday announced the outbreak of dengue and asked the citizens to take necessary precautions.

According to Quezon City Chief Joy Belmont, from January 1 to February 14, the city's health department confirmed dengue infection in 1,769 patients. This infection rate is almost 200 percent higher than last year.

Belmont said 10 people, including eight minors, have died from the disease this year.

“Our declaration of a dengue outbreak is to inform you that the situation is at its peak,” Belmont said.

“We are doing everything we can to protect our residents, especially our children, from this deadly disease,” he said.

Of the infected, 58 percent are school-age children between the ages of five and 17, while 44 percent are children between the ages of one and 10.

“As a first step in addressing dengue outbreaks, all 66 city health centers will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends,” Belmont said.

The city’s dengue outbreak comes a day after the Philippine Department of Health reported an increase in water- and food-borne diseases, influenza-like illnesses, leptospirosis and dengue fever.

Quezon City had a population of about 3 million as of 2020, according to government data.