Nearly 45,000 Vietnamese Infected with Dengue Fever in Seven Months

Vietnam reports nearly 45,000 people infected with dengue fever in the first seven months of this year, up 2.6-fold over the same period last year, state media reported. At least 14 people were killed and infections were recorded in 46 out of 63 cities and provinces, according to Tran Dac Phu, chief of the ministry’s General Department of Preventive Medicine. The department has urged local governments, especially provinces with outbreaks such as Bac Lieu and Dak Lak, to take measures for killing mosquito larvae and spraying insecticides. Local clinics have also been ordered to provide appropriate and urgent treatment for patients to limit fatalities, he added. Vietnam recorded nearly 82,000 dengue infections last year, including 52 deaths, according to official figures. (vietnamnet.vn July 26, cafef.vn July 26)