Localities in the Mekong Delta, southern Vietnam have recorded a soaring number of dengue fever patients, though it is the dry season in the region.

In Can Tho City, more than 590 dengue fever cases, including one death in Co Do District, have been reported in the year to date, much higher than the year-ago figure of around 90 cases.

Most of the cases were detected in Ninh Kieu, Thot Not, Cai Rang, and Co Do Districts, according to the Can Tho Center for Disease Control (CDC).

In the provinces of Dong Thap and Tien Giang, the number of dengue fever patients has skyrocketed by 200-400 percent against the same period last year.

Data from CDC Tien Giang indicated that 713 dengue fever cases have been detected in the eponymous since the beginning of the year.

Dong Thap Province has logged 333 dengue fever clusters in all districts, with 653 cases, up 2.8-fold versus last year’s figure. Cao Lanh, Thanh Binh, and Thap Muoi Districts accounted for the majority of cases.

Similarly, An Giang witnessed a sharp increase of over 860 cases during the given period.

CDC leaders in these Mekong Delta provinces attributed the upsurge of dengue fever cases in the dry season to previous unseasonal rains, which caused dengue outbreaks to rise.

Many local households stocked up on rainwater to serve farming and daily activities. The unseasonal rains led to stagnant water in lakes, ponds, and containers which became mosquito breeding sites.

To prevent the dengue fever outbreak from spreading further when the rainy season is coming, the localities in the delta have launched a campaign on dengue fever prevention and control.

In Can Tho City, a campaign on dengue fever prevention and control is set to take place in two phases, with phase 1 from March 16 to 18 and phase 2 from March 30 to April 1.

CDC Can Tho has intensively teamed up with local authorities in the city to monitor mosquito larva indices in dengue fever hotspots, support the latter in spraying insecticides to kill mosquitoes on a large scale, and timely tackle dengue fever outbreaks.

Local residents are advised to keep their houses and the surroundings clean, cover up water containers carefully, release fish into water containers to kill mosquito larvae, and others so as to keep mosquitoes at bay.

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