According to figures released by the Ho Chi Minh City Disease Control Center (HCDC), the number of dengue fever cases in the southern city hit 543 during the 35th week of the year, a rise of 16 cases compared to the previous week.

Classes are thoroughly cleaned and sterilised with disinfectant 

Significantly, Ho Chi Minh city recorded its first death caused by dengue fever this year. The victim was a 16-year-old girl from District 7 who had been first admitted to the District 4 Hospital on July 29 after displaying severe symptoms of dengue fever. She later passed away ten days on from first receiving treatment.

The HCDC stated that the eight-month period witnessed 11,404 dengue fever cases, including 6,277 inpatients and 5,217 outpatients. This figure shows a sharp increase of 71.8% in comparison to the same period last year.

Last week, the southern city recorded a total of 40 dengue fever outbreaks across 31 wards and communes in 13 districts, with the majority occurring in District 12 and Cu Chi district. In addition, there were eight outbreaks which resulted in local authorities coming in to to spray chemicals throughout relevant areas.

At present, the city and other southern provinces are in the midst of the peak season of the disease, largely as a consequence of heavy downpours which have created favourable conditions in which mosquitoes are able to thrive and easily spread dengue fever.

The HCDC therefore urges all local citizens to take effective measures relating to environmental sanitation, with the aim of eliminating mosquito larvae, whilst also spraying chemicals in a bid to further halt the spread of the disease.