With recent reports of a sixth Zika case in the Philippines as confirmed by the Department of Health and twelve cases in Singapore as per the World Health Organization (WHO)’s record, the fear of acquiring the virus is rapidly spreading, too.
As of today, the Zika virus, which is transmitted by the Aedis aegypti mosquito, has reached at least twenty-four countries. Zika is attracting worldwide attention because of its connection with microcephaly, a neurological disorder resulting in babies born with abnormally small heads.
Even before the Zika virus became a worldwide threat, dengue—another mosquito-borne disease—has continually plagued the Philippines.
Consider the numbers: according to data gathered by the WHO Western Pacific Region, dengue cases rose to epidemic levels in 2015, with an average of 220 reported cases per day. As of February 2016, there have been 18,790 reported dengue cases in the country.
