Philippines

Overview

The Philippines is a dengue-endemic archipelago in Southeast Asia, experiencing year-round transmission with marked seasonal peaks during the rainy season (June–November). All four DENV serotypes circulate, making secondary heterotypic infections common. The country is a major contributor to dengue research in the Western Pacific region, with several well-established clinical research sites.

Key Points from Literature

Manila dengue cohort — secondary infection and thrombocytopenia

Oishi2003 - PAIgG and Thrombocytopenia in Secondary Dengue was conducted at two Manila-area institutions during the June–November 2001 dengue season:

  • San Lazaro Hospital (Blood Borne Diseases Ward, Manila): primary enrolment site for dengue patients
  • St. Luke’s Medical Center (Research and Biotechnology Division, Quezon City): enrolment site for healthy volunteer controls and laboratory support

The study enrolled 142 patients with suspected dengue, of whom 101 were confirmed by IgM-capture ELISA and 83 had secondary infection (HI titer ≥1:2,560). The final study cohort of 53 patients was in the acute phase (3–7 days from symptom onset), mean age 16.1 ± 7.6 years, 60.4% male — typical of the paediatric-to-young-adult dengue burden in the Philippines. All four serotypes were used in antigen panels, confirming co-circulation.

Contradictions & Debates

  • No geographic comparators for this study in the wiki; the Philippines cohort’s secondary-infection PAIgG findings have not yet been replicated in other Southeast Asian countries at the same level of mechanistic detail.

Sources