Vietnam may Face Dengue Fever Outbreak: Ministry

Dengue fever is likely to resurface in Vietnam in April if the burgeoning number of mosquitoes isn’t curbed, the Ministry of Health has warned.

In a note sent recently to 64 provinces and cities, the ministry warned that Vietnam’s mosquito population – distributor of dengue fever – has increased dramatically recently.

The ministry said that if a dengue epidemic surfaced, death tolls could overtake those of the 1998 outbreak, when over 400 people perished.

The ministry instructed all provinces and cities to disburse all allocated funds to combat the fever.

On Sunday, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health said it had dispatched personnel to the reportedly dengue fever-prone districts 7, Binh Thanh, and Tan Phu to study the development of mosquitoes there.

Health watchdogs have blamed stagnant wastewater and dense water hyacinth (a water plant with blue flowers) for mushrooming mosquito populations in the said districts.

Dengue fever is fatal in about 5 percent of cases, especially in children and young adults.

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In related news, the Hanoi-based Saint Paul Hospital reported a 10 percent increase in the number of children contracting chickenpox over the last ten days.

The hospital has admitted up to 20 cases of chickenpox per day.

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Besides, the Hanoi Dermatology Institute and the Central Pediatrics Hospital also said incidences of chickenpox, mostly found in children, have been on the rise as the peak season of the disease is set for upcoming March.

Source-Bio-Bio Technology
SRM