Cases of dengue have increased sharply since the beginning of the year, especially in Mekong Delta provinces with over 10,000 cases reported, according to the Ministry of Health.
In the province of Bac Lieu, over 400 infected cases have been reported since January – twice as many as last year.
Ca Mau Province, meanwhile, has seen 450 cases of the disease since January, a 176 percent increase year-on-year.
The upsurge was unexpected, according to health experts, as dengue fever generally strikes hardest at the end of the rainy season in September and October.
One of the main reasons for the sudden outbreak, according to the experts, was that local residents lacked education and awareness about disease prevention.
Most fail to use mosquito nets or cover up open containers of water (such as jars or flower pots) which create breeding grounds for the disease-carrying insects.
Unexpected weather patterns and early seasonal rain have also combined to create more breeding opportunities for mosquitoes.
Provincial health agencies are using chemical agents, removing stagnant water and breeding fish in an attempt to kill off mosquito larvae and curb the outbreak.
Source: SGGP, Agencies |
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