Vietnam Reports 105,000 Dengue Fever Patients in Jan-Oct

Dengue fever affected more than 29,100 people in provinces and cities across Vietnam in Oct, bringing the total patients to 105,000 the first ten months of this year, rising 21% from a year earlier, state media reported, citing an official of the Ministry of Health. The disease mainly broke out in central provinces of Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Tri, Quang Binh, Ha Tinh, Binh Dinh, Binh Thuan and southern province of Binh Duong, Deputy Head of the ministry’s Preventive Medicine Department Nguyen Sinh Nam said. The deputy head warned that number of dengue fever patients will increase in the coming months during rainy season. The ministry has urged health authorities nationwide to take drastic measures to prevent the spread of the disease, such as killing mosquitoes and improving environment sanitation. (Van Hoa Nov 12 p4, tuoitre.vn Nov 11)