The number of people contracting dengue fever in Mekong delta provinces has considerably soared so far this year, the Dat Viet newspaper reported June 17, citing a health official of Tien Giang province. Tien Giang has reported over 1,045 dengue fever patients since early this year, including one fatality, said vice head of the provincial department of health Tran Thanh Thao. The epidemic has also attacked 1,000 people in An Giang province in the period, nearly doubling the figure of the same period of 2009, claiming three lives, Thao was quoted as saying. Dengue fever has affected 800 locals in Dong Thap province, up 55% on year, including two deaths. Thao emphasized up to 30% dengue fever patients in Tien Giang are adults and the rate of Dong Thap is 40%. The epidemic affected 4,200 people in Vietnam’s central region between Jan and May, up 96% on year, with two deaths, the Nha Trang City-based Pasteur Institute’s statistics showed.
