Vietnam: Significant increase in dengue fever cases as of November 30 /update 1

Event

Vietnam has recorded a significant increase in dengue fever cases as of Saturday, November 30. According to health officials, over 241,000 cases and 43 associated fatalities, have been reported since the beginning of the year. Binh Dinh province has become a hot spot for the outbreak, where hospitals are reportedly overwhelmed with the number of cases and patients demanding care. Similar overcrowding has been reported in hospitals in Quang Binh province. Vietnam's Department of Preventive Medicine said that all prevention measures have been deployed but the number of cases continues to increase.

Further spread of the disease is possible in the coming weeks.

Context

Symptoms of dengue fever include fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, nausea, and rashes. Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) is a potentially deadly complication that is characterized by high fever, the enlargement of the liver, and hemorrhaging.

Advice

Individuals in Vietnam are advised to take measures to protect themselves from mosquito bites - e.g. by wearing covering clothing, using insect repellent, and sleeping under mosquito netting or in an air-conditioned room - and to eliminate possible mosquito breeding grounds (e.g. small pockets of fresh water, such as rainwater that has collected in cans, bottles, tires, flower pots, clogged gutters, etc.).