HCM City’s health workers inspect potential mosquito breeding sites during dengue fever surveillance. — VNA/VNS Photo Đinh Hằng

HCM CITY — Raising public awareness and encouraging active community participation are critical to controlling disease outbreaks, especially the current surge in dengue fever cases in HCM City and southern provinces, health officials warned.

During a site inspection in the communes of the former Củ Chi District on July 15, a task force from the Pasteur Institute in HCM City, in coordination with the city’s Department of Health, identified several high-risk areas for dengue outbreaks, including motorbike repair shops, residential neighbourhoods, and boarding houses.

Inspectors found numerous water containers, including plant pots, old cans, discarded tires, and tanks, that were left uncovered and filled with rainwater, creating ideal breeding grounds for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes —the primary vectors of dengue fever.

Nguyễn Trọng Nghĩa, deputy director of the Củ Chi Health Centre, said people remain complacent about the disease and often fail to follow basic preventive measures, such as overturning water containers or clearing bushes around their homes. Despite constant public communication campaigns, the situation recurs year after year.

Many households continue to store rainwater for farming or livestock, further facilitating mosquito breeding, he said.

From the beginning of this year, the former Củ Chi District has reported approximately 1,300 dengue cases, a 120 per cent increase compared to the same period last year, making it the second-highest locality for infections in the city.

According to the Củ Chi Regional General Hospital, over the past two months, it has admitted 20-30 dengue patients per day, accounting for approximately 20 per cent of the total inpatients.

Since January, the hospital has treated 1,538 dengue cases, including 299 outpatients, 722 inpatients without warning signs, 468 with warning signs, and 49 severe cases.

Lê Hồng Nga, deputy director of the city Centre for Disease Control, said: “Dengue cases are increasing rapidly, especially during the rainy season when mosquito populations thrive.”

The average weekly number of dengue infections in 2025 is higher than in 2024, and total cases have risen by 1.5 times year-on-year, she said.

So far, the city has recorded six dengue-related deaths, including three in the former HCM City area, two in Bình Dương, and one in Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu.

To improve prevention and control efforts, Nguyễn Vũ Trung, Director of the Pasteur Institute in HCM City, highlighted the role of local governments in strengthening disease control activities, particularly through public education campaigns.

“Only when people stop underestimating the disease and actively join health authorities to eliminate mosquito breeding sites and larvae can dengue fever be pushed back,” he said.

He urged local health authorities to work with other sectors and the community to identify and manage emerging high-risk areas amid the spike in infections.

He also called for stricter enforcement of Decree 176/2013/NĐ-CP on administrative penalties in the health sector, particularly for individuals or businesses that have been repeatedly warned but still found with mosquito larvae on their premises.

Health experts recommend that households actively destroy mosquito larvae by eliminating containers that can collect standing water.

To avoid mosquito bites, people are advised to sleep under mosquito nets, use insect repellents, sprays, coils, and mosquito rackets.

Individuals should also cooperate with health workers during chemical spraying and larvicide campaigns.

In cases of high fever that do not subside, people are advised to visit a medical facility immediately and refrain from attempting home treatment or intravenous infusions without medical supervision. — VNS