HANOI, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Between Jan. 1 and July 29, Vietnam spotted over 105,000 dengue fever patients, more than trebling the cases in the same period last year, Vietnam News Agency reported on Tuesday.
Of the over 105,000 dengue fever patients, 10 have died, the agency quoted the country's Health Ministry as saying.
On Monday, health minister instructed health departments of cities and provinces nationwide to intensify early detection and rapid containment of dengue fever outbreaks. The localities were asked to launch big campaigns on killing mosquito larvae, and to well treat dengue fever patients.
The ministry will send dengue-related inspection delegations in August to 18 central and southern localities, including Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Da Nang.
Most of Vietnamese dengue fever patients live in the country's southern region whose weather conditions and local people's habit of storing rainwater in containers for domestic use create favorable conditions for the development of mosquitoes, the disease's transmitter, local epidemiologists said.
In March, Vietnam established a satellite-based dengue forecasting system which uses a combination of satellite information, weather forecasting and historical data on previous outbreaks to create an early warning system, up to eight months in advance, for potential epidemics.
Through the system, local communities receive direction on where to focus their efforts to reduce mosquito-breeding sites to prevent outbreaks of dengue.
