A child with dengue fever being treated at the HCM City Children’s Hospital. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — The rainy season has arrived early in HCM City and its neighbouring provinces, helping breed mosquitoes and causing a high risk of dengue fever outbreaks, doctors said.

In the first three months of this year the number of people hospitalised with dengue had nearly doubled from the same period last year, Assoc Prof Phạm Văn Quang, head of the department of intensive care and poisoning control at Children’s Hospital No.1, said.

Nguyễn Minh Tiến, deputy director of the HCM City Children's Hospital, said 100-150 dengue patients had been coming to the hospital every day since February, with 10 per cent of them being admitted.

Nearly 60 severe cases are being treated at the hospital now, including some also with COVID-19, most of them are obese, according to Tiến.

This year the rainy season arrived early in the south, and there is a high risk of dengue outbreaks that have been occurring every three or four years.

Many parents delay taking their children to the hospital due to COVID concerns, resulting in severe and complications and high fatality rates, according to the doctor.

An upsurge in dengue is observed in July-January every year, according to the HCM City Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

Symptoms typically begin three to 14 days after infection, with the most common being high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pain, and a skin rash.

Doctors advise parents to take children with high fever for three days to health facilities for early detection of the disease and proper medical care, which helps reduce fatality rates. — VNS