Sharp rise in dengue fever cases in Ba Ria Vung Tau

Doctor Nguyen Anh Quan, deputy director of the provincial Preventive Medicine Centre, said that as of the end of the first quarter, the number of dengue fever-infected cases in the locality has increased to nearly 1,140, including one death as a result of the disease.

The city of Vung Tau reported the highest number of dengue fever cases among the seven districts in the province with a total of 481 cases, accounting for 42.5 per cent of the locality’s overall figure.

Ba Ria Vung Tau Preventive Medicine Centre said the development of dengue fever in the locality remains complicated and is likely to develop into an epidemic, despite the fact that it is currently the dry season in provinces in the south of the country.

The increase in the number of cases of dengue fever has been attributed to periodical developments of the disease, records show that once every three or four years there is a sharp increase in cases, as well as the emergence of the type D2 dengue-fever virus which first spread in early 2019.

The emergence of the type D2 dengue fever has been attributed as the main cause for the spread of the dengue fever epidemic as members of the community are not immune to this strain of the virus. Moreover, fluctuations in the number of residents and the movement of residents between regions have also contributed to the spread of the epidemic.