Patients with dengue treated at the Hospital of Obstetrics Gynecology and Pediatrics in the southern province of An Giang (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNS/VNA) - The dengue fever season is peaking, with a sharp rise inincidence of the mosquito-borne disease in Ho Chi Minh City, the MekongDelta and the south-east, according to preventive medicine centres.
The number of casesin HCM City last month was 7,833, up 18 percent from July, the HCMCity Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said.
In the first eightmonths of the year, the number of cases was up 142 percent year-on-yearto 39,814.
More than 900potential mosquito breeding habitats have been identified in many districts,but most of them in the outlying districts of Hoc Mon and Binh Chanh.
An upsurge has alsobeen reported in the Mekong Delta, where there have been eightdeaths due to the disease this year.
The Can Tho CityPaediatrics Hospital has treated 876 patients this year, 43 percent higheryear-on-year than in 2018. The last three months saw a sharp rise to 335.
The number of peoplehospitalised with dengue has been on an upward trend, and there have been manysevere cases, said Bui Hung Viet, head of the hospital’s denguefever department.
Poor public awarenessof the serious complications caused by dengue and prevention measures remains abig challenge, he said.
Many peoplethink that only young children get the disease and that they becomeimmune if they get it once, he said.
In Tien Giang province,there have been 2,400 cases this year, up 163 percent, with two deaths.
In Dong Thap, thenumber rose by 71 percent in the first six months to more than 1,350 casesagain with two people dying.
As of September 16, thesouth-eastern province of Binh Phuoc had reported more than 6,000 cases andthree deaths.
The south centralprovince of Binh Thuan is one of the 15worst affected localities, according to its Preventive Medicine Centre.
The number has risenfive-fold this year to nearly 2,900, and there has been one death.
Nguyen Tri Dung, Directorof the HCM City Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, said the city hasstepped up efforts to fight the disease with a focus on spraying chemicals tokill mosquitoes, eliminating potential habitats and raising public awareness ofdengue prevention and control.
But sprayingchemicals is recommended only in emergency situations for rapid destruction ofthe adult vector population, according to the centre.
Dengue prevention andcontrol is the responsibility of individuals, it said.
The key is toeliminate unnecessary container habitats that collect water in households andworkplaces./.
VNA
