Chemical spraying to prevent dengue fever (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Hanoi has reported 955 cases of dengue fever in 261 communes, wards and towns across its 30 districts from the outset of the year, a year-on-year decrease of 96.8 percent.
The Department of Health said the city detected 136 new dengue fever cases during September 17-23.
As the city is now in peak season for dengue fever (from September to November), localities must continue taking preventive measures like cleaning up the environment and killing mosquito larvae.
By September 1, nearly 45,600 dengue fever cases had been reported nationwide, according to the Ministry of Health, down more than 30 percent compared to the same period last year. However, hospitals nationwide have seen an increase in the number of patients with severe shock caused by dengue fever.
Nine people so far this year have died from dengue fever, most of them live in southern provinces like Ca Mau, An Giang, Tra Vinh and Dong Nai.
Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease. The virus is transmitted by female mosquitoes mainly of the species Aedes aegypti and to a lesser extent, Ae.albopictus. Dengue is widespread throughout the tropics, with variations in risk influenced by rainfall, temperature and unplanned rapid urbanisation.
In the past week, the city also saw 12 more cases of measles and 46 cases of hand-foot-mouth disease, bringing the total cases of these two from the beginning of the year to 389 and 1,586, respectively.-VNA
VNA
