Myanmar: Death toll rises to 123 due to Dengue fever as of December 2

Event

The Public Health Department announced on Monday, December 2, that at least 123 people have died due to Dengue fever since January. The most affected areas are Kachin state, Yangon, Ayeyarwady, Mandalay, and Sagaing regions. Children between the ages of five and nine were infected by Dengue fever the most, with a total of 9264 registered cases.

Context

Officials announced that at least 23,203 cases of mosquito-borne disease infection cases were reported across the country in the same period.

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease found mostly in urban and semi-urban areas. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, nausea, and rash. In a small number of cases, the potentially deadly dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) may develop, resulting in internal bleeding, enlargement of the liver, and high fever.

Advice

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