00000000Recent data from the Philippines suggest that 1980, 1981 and 1985 saw little disease activity whilst more serologically confirmed cases were detected in 1982, 1983 and 1984 (Table 4). The age distribution of recent cases of DHF indicates that more than 40 per cent of cases are in the five to nine years age group (Table 5). The sex ratio of cases shows approximately equal distribution of cases between males and females (131 males and 141 females between 1982 - 84). The years 1982 and 1983 showed the typical pattern of increased disease activity during the rainy months. In 1984, however, most cases were seen during the dry months; the reasons for this are unknown(16). All four serotypes of dengue have been isolated in the Philippines and, in recent years, dengue-1, 2 and 3 (DEN-1, -2 and -3) appear to have been equally prevalent (Table 6).

Table 4. Dengue infections confirmed by serology*

* Source of data : (16)

Table 5. Age distribution of serologically confirmed
dengue cases : 1982 - 1984*

* Source of data : (16)

Table 6. Dengue viruses isolated in the Philippines, 1983 - 1984*

* Source of data : (16)

Table 7. Dengue fever/Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever
(DF/DHF) in the Pacific Islands, 1975 - 1984*

* Source of data : (12), (15), (17), (18), (21)
… = Data not available