Duterte says his daughter has dengue fever, days after revealing his own neuromuscular disorder

RT
Mon, 07 Oct 2019 14:06 UTC

© REUTERS / Erik De Castro

File photo from 2016 of Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter Veronica

The youngest daughter of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has contracted dengue fever, a serious viral infection spread by mosquitoes which can develop fatal complications.

Veronica 'Kitty' Duterte, 15, was inoculated against the virus with a vaccine called Dengvaxia. However, in late 2017, the drug's manufacturer, Sanofi Pasteur, released a statement saying that it carried a risk to people who were vaccinated without having previously suffered from dengue, exposing them to an even worse infection should they later contract it.

President Duterte, who has just arrived back in the island nation after a five-day trip to Moscow, said the teenager "is already on the safe level," the Philippine Star reports.

Confirmation of his daughter's illness comes just days after the leader said that he is suffering from the neuromuscular disorder, myasthenia gravis. He reportedly made the revelation in a speech to the Filipino community in Moscow on Saturday.

The incurable autoimmune disease causes weakness in skeletal muscles, particularly those involved in breathing and moving limbs. The condition is not known to limit life expectancy.