Dengue and Chikungunya are back

 

Two of Joy's relaives who live in nearby Bulacan caught it: Originally they thought it was Dengue but the test was negative. The symptoms are similar (everything hurts) but now they are still having pain in large joints.

From Grok: 

Chikungunya in the Philippines (as of late 2025)Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease caused by the chikungunya virus (CHIKV), transmitted primarily by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes—the same vectors that spread dengue and Zika.

 

It is endemic in the Philippines, with cases often peaking during the rainy season (June–September) due to increased mosquito breeding.

 

Current Situation (2025)According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Disease Outbreak News update, as of August 16, 2025, the Philippines reported 628 confirmed chikungunya cases — a 78% decrease compared to the same period in 2024 (2,886 cases). This indicates a significant decline in transmission this year, with effective public health responses (e.g., case investigation, vector control, and community engagement) containing small clusters quickly. No deaths were reported in association with these cases.

 

Chikungunya cases are generally low in number compared to dengue (which saw over 123,000 cases and hundreds of deaths in the first half of 2025). The virus circulates sporadically, with occasional localized outbreaks, but no nationwide epidemic in recent years.

 

The Philippines remains at elevated risk for chikungunya, as noted by the U.S. CDC, even without active large outbreaks. Travelers and residents should take precautions.

 

Symptoms and Treatment

 

Symptoms typically appear 4–7 days after infection and include:High fever Severe joint pain (often debilitating and long-lasting) Muscle pain Headache Fatigue Nausea Rash The disease is usually self-limiting, with most recovering fully, though joint pain can persist for months.

that is what they are complaining about now that they are over their acute phase. 

 

There is no specific antiviral treatment; management focuses on symptom relief (painkillers, rest, hydration). Vaccines are approved in some countries but not widely available or used in the Philippines.

PreventionThe Philippine Department of Health (DOH) promotes the 4S strategy (enhanced for dengue, chikungunya, and Zika):Search and destroy mosquito breeding sites (e.g., empty water containers, tires). Self-protection (use repellents, wear long sleeves/pants). Seek early medical consultation if symptoms appear. Support fogging in high-risk areas. Additional tips: Eliminate standing water around homes, use bed nets, and avoid outdoor activities during peak mosquito hours (dawn and dusk).If you're in the Philippines or planning to travel there, stay vigilant—especially in urban or rural areas with poor drainage during rainy periods. For the latest official updates, check the DOH or WHO websites.

History of influenza

everyone knows about the 1917 influenza epidemic, but there were other influenza like epidemics before and after that. 

 So anyway, I was listening to this discussion about Jack the Ripper, and one person who was suspected by those who like conspiracy theories is a Royal son (at 22 minutes), and they mention that he was in Scotland during the time and he later died of influenza in the 1890s influenza epidemic.

there was a major flu epidemic in the 1890s? Sort of forgotten today that influenza is a recurring illness.

Hmm. sort of overlooked that lotss of influenza epidemics out there  

As for the 188990 epidemic here on Wikipedia, 

It was the last great pandemic of the 19th century, and is among the deadliest pandemics in history.[2][3] The pandemic killed about 1 million people out of a world population of about 1.5 billion (0.067% of population).[4][5] The most reported effects of the pandemic took place from October 1889 to December 1890, with recurrences in March to June 1891, November 1891 to June 1892, the northern winter of 1893–1894, and early 1895. According to researchers' estimates, excess mortality from Russian influenza in the Russian Empire for the period 1889–1890 could be from 60,000 to 90,000 people, with lethality from the virus, a little more than 0.2%.[6]

more here:

A partial listing of particularly violent outbreaks likely to have been influenza include one in 1510...In 1580, another pandemic started in Asia, then spread to Africa, Europe, and even America,,, 

In 1688, influenza struck England, Ireland, and Virginia; in all these places “the people dyed … as in a plague” (Duffy, 1953). A mutated or new virus continued to plague Europe and America again in 1693 and Massachusetts in 1699...

In London in 1847 and 1848, more people died from influenza than from the terrible cholera epidemic of 1832. In 1889 and 1890, a great and violent worldwide pandemic struck again ...

read the entire article for a background of repeated epidemics of influenza type epidemics.

there is a question in some of the articles I perused wondering if that the reason the 1918 influenza was weaker in China was that they had partial immunity from previous infections.

A similar idea could explain why in 1917 it killed the young adults not just the elderly was because the middle aged and elderly may have had partial immunity due to previous infection in this earlier epidemic.

One sometimes forgets about previous epidemics.

One of my earliest memories was the doctor making a house call for my mother who had Asian flu, which was a major epidemic of 1957

Sine things to remember when you read hysteria about the next swine flu or bird flu epidemics threatening the world.

DATA?