Alarm bells sound as dengue fever cases rise in HCM City
VOV.VN - The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has sounded the alarm as the incidence of dengue is increasing considerably in the city.
Nguyen Huu Hung, deputy director of the municipal Department of Health, said the dengue fever epidemic is evolving in a complicated manner this year following the control of the recent COVID-19 outbreak.
The number of infections represents an alarming sign amid the growing number of dengue fever cases and deaths over the past five months.
Statistics of the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC) show HCM City recorded a total of 10,052 dengue fever cases in the initial five months of the year, a year-on-year rise of 46.4%.
Of the figure, the number of severe cases stands at seven times higher than the same period from last year.
From May 20 to May 26 alone, the city tracked a total of 1,402 cases, a rise of 48.4% over the average seen during the previous four weeks.
It also discovered a further 121 fresh dengue fever spots across 15 districts and Thu Duc City, bringing the total number of these spots since the beginning of this year to 567.
According to the municipal health official, through inspections of several high-risk spots, some households continue to store unused water in jars and other containers, whilst sanitation issues still exist.
In order to cope with the complicated developments relating to dengue fever, Hung said relevant agencies must seek to educate people on the danger of the disease. He requested local people to pay more attention and continuously inspect and clean water containers as a means of preventing larvae and mosquito bites.
