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Monday, April 25, 2011

Vietnam : Hanoians warned about dengue fever outbreaks

Article from Vietnam News :

" HA NOI : Dengue fever outbreaks were increasingly likely in Ha Noi and people needed to take precautions to avoid catching the disease, said deputy director of Ha Noi's Preventive Medicine Centre Nguyen Nhat Cam.

"We are entering a weather pattern of high temperatures and humidity, which provides better conditions for mosquitoes, which spread dengue fever," said Cam.

Previously, the cycle of the dengue fever in Ha Noi came around every four to five years from May to November. However, during the past few years, it was hard to predict outbreaks of the disease, he said.

Cam said rapid urbanisation and better transportation enabled the disease to spread more rapidly.

During the first four months of the year, the number of cases diagnosed with dengue fever was 220, an increase of 15 to 20 per cent compared to the same period last year.

The highest concentration was in Hoang Mai, Hai Ba Trung and Gia Lam districts.

Cam said these areas had high population density, a substantial population of migrant workers from the countryside and poor hygiene conditions.

The doctor urged authorities to boost campaigns to raise public awareness about dengue fever. There was no vaccine and no specific treatment available for dengue fever yet. However, most preventive measures were simple and could be carried out at home."

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