DOH: Typhoid fever cases rise by 150%

MANILA – The Department of Health on Wednesday stated that the Philippines has recorded 12,124 typhoid fever cases from January 1 to November 2, but no regions have been reported above the epidemic threshold.

The tally is 150 percent or 7,280 cases higher than the 4,844 infections reported last year for the same period.

“Tulad ng cholera pababa pa ang kaso ngayon pero babantayan natin kung magkakaroon pa ng pagtaas ng kaso ng typhoid (Like cholera, typhoid cases are on a downward trend, but we will monitor any increase in cases),” Department of Health – Epidemiology Bureau Director Alethea de Guzman said in an online forum.

While higher than 2021 and 2020, typhoid fever cases this year were lower than the weekly infections reported during the pre-pandemic years. They also remain below the epidemic threshold.

Due to typhoid fever, a total of 56 deaths were logged across the country. Around 17 percent of the cases are children ages one to four years old.

Batangas, Bohol, Bukidnon, Cagayan City, Catanduanes, Cebu, Davao City, Guimaras, Misamis Occidental, Mountain Province, Negros Occidental, Nueva Ecija, Rizal, Sarangani, and Santiago City had positive growth rates of typhoid fever cases in the past three to four weeks.

“Itong mga nililista nating mga lugar na may pagtaas ng typhoid cases ay wala pong relasyon sa Typhoon Paeng, pero again part siya ng gagawin nating close monitoring (These areas which we have listed under places with increase in typhoid cases have no relation with Typhoon Paeng, but again, it is part of our close monitoring),” de Guzman said.