Risk of dengue fever outbreak

Since the beginning of the year, the province has recorded more than 1,710 cases of dengue fever, a 115% increase compared to the same period last year. The period from May to November is the peak of the epidemic, so the dengue fever situation in the province is expected to continue to be complex. Therefore, the provincial health department recommends that people work together to strengthen dengue fever prevention activities.

The number of cases is increasing.

On May 8th, at the Infectious Diseases Department of Ninh Hoa Regional General Hospital, 10 dengue fever cases were being treated, including both adults and children. Ms. Pham Thi Trung (70 years old, Ninh Phung commune, Ninh Hoa town) said that she had a fever earlier, thinking it was just a common cold, so she bought medicine to take. However, after 4 days, her condition did not improve but worsened, so she went to Ninh Hoa Regional General Hospital for treatment. There, she was diagnosed with dengue fever. After 3 days of treatment, her health has stabilized, and she is expected to be discharged this week. In the same ward, Mr. Tran Van Luy (72 years old, Ms. Trung's husband) is also being treated for dengue fever. He fell ill two days after Ms. Trung. Thanks to the dedicated treatment from the hospital's medical staff, his health is now stable, and he no longer has a high fever like in the previous days.

Health check-ups for dengue fever patients at the Infectious Diseases Department, Ninh Hoa Regional General Hospital.

Since the beginning of the year, Ninh Hoa Regional General Hospital has examined and treated more than 410 dengue fever cases, including 16 severe cases, 69 warning cases, and 24 cases transferred to higher-level hospitals for further treatment. Dr. Tran Le Giang, Head of the Infectious Diseases Department at Ninh Hoa Regional General Hospital, said: “In recent years, dengue fever has not only been recorded in children as before, but the number of cases in adults is also relatively high. Both children and adults can experience dangerous complications if not treated promptly. In children, common complications include shock and bleeding; in adults, it is often accompanied by underlying conditions, easily leading to severe hemorrhage.”

In the province, from the beginning of the year until now, more than 1,710 cases of dengue fever have been recorded, an increase of 115% compared to the same period last year, including 74 severe cases and 227 cases with warning signs; 83 outbreaks have been detected and handled. Localities with high numbers of cases include: Nha Trang with 584 cases, Ninh Hoa with 463 cases, Dien Khanh with 289 cases, and Cam Ranh with 142 cases. According to the Provincial Center for Disease Control, the number of dengue fever cases in January and February was lower than the 5-year average; however, the number of cases in March and April increased and exceeded the 5-year average, indicating that the epidemic situation is becoming complex and there is a risk of an outbreak in the near future if effective preventive measures are not implemented.

We need to work together to prevent the disease.

According to Dr. Ton That Toan, Deputy Director of the Provincial Center for Disease Control, since the beginning of the year, the provincial health sector has implemented many drastic measures to prevent and control dengue fever, such as: monitoring and investigating cases, handling outbreaks, and organizing regular mosquito larva eradication... Districts and towns have coordinated with the health sector and the Youth Union to implement environmental sanitation campaigns and spray chemicals to kill mosquitoes at high-risk areas. However, the number of cases continues to increase, mainly due to the prolonged impact of the epidemic at the end of 2024 (more than 1,000 cases recorded each month). In addition, the handling of outbreaks in localities has not been thorough, coupled with the complacency of the people, which is a factor prolonging the epidemic. Many households still do not seriously implement mosquito larva eradication; local disease prevention and control campaigns have not been highly effective, mainly focusing on public awareness campaigns. Communication efforts are limited, and people lack full awareness of the disease and preventive measures. They still store water in containers without covering them properly, creating favorable conditions for mosquito breeding. In addition, disruptions to the infectious disease reporting software system also hinder the updating and monitoring of epidemiological data…

Health officials from the Provincial Center for Disease Control inspect mosquito larvae in flower vases at a household in Cam Lam district.

To ensure effective dengue fever prevention and control in the coming period, the provincial health sector recommends that districts, towns, cities, communes, and wards organize weekly mosquito larva eradication in high-risk areas; strengthen communication and guide people to implement prevention and control measures at the household level; and promptly detect and thoroughly handle outbreaks. Simultaneously, it is necessary to mobilize inter-sectoral forces in disease prevention and control and promote the community monitoring role of the people. Furthermore, sanctions should be imposed on officials and households that do not comply with disease prevention regulations. For the people, it is necessary to work together with all levels and sectors to raise awareness of disease prevention and control, proactively eradicating mosquitoes and larvae in their homes... Only then can we limit the number of new cases and control the disease from spreading widely.

C.DAN

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/xa-hoi/202505/nguy-co-bung-phat-dich-benh-sot-xuat-huyet-edd21b3/