Local residents in Đồng Tháp Province remove stagnant water, a breeding ground for mosquitoes. VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — Provinces in Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta have stepped up preventive measures to reduce the risk of outbreaks after an increase in the number of dengue fever cases in various parts of the Mekong Delta region.

The Bến Tre Province’s Department of Health has reported 2,708 cases of dengue fever, with no deaths, since the beginning of the year, an increase of 820 cases compared to the same period last year.

Dr. Ngô Văn Tán, director of the department, said health authorities were speeding up preventive measures to prevent outbreaks, including an awareness drive and measures to eliminate mosquito breeding sources, and spraying of chemicals to kill mosquitoes in high-risk areas where dengue cases have been reported.

The transition from the hot season to the rainy season provides favourable conditions for mosquitoes to develop, resulting in more dengue fever cases. The risk of dengue fever outbreaks is high if preventive measures are not put in place in a timely manner, Tán said.

In Đồng Tháp Province, more than 1,700 people have had dengue fever, including 48 people with severe dengue fever since the beginning of the year. There have been no deaths.

The provincial Department of Health has strengthened preventive measures, said Dương Ân Hận, deputy director of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

The department has conducted three campaigns on killing mosquitoes and mosquito larvae in residential areas and households and raising public awareness about disease prevention and treatment.

Văn Công Minh, director of Vĩnh Long Province’s Department of Health, said that around 100 mosquito larvae breeding sites had been identified and were being closely supervised by public health officials.

The number of dengue cases in September was higher than the previous month. More than 30 people were diagnosed with dengue fever each week in September, a two-fold rise compared to one-week figures in August. The upward trend during the rainy season is expected to continue.  

A total of 389 dengue cases have been reported in Cà Mau Province since the beginning of the year, a year-on-year drop of 60 per cent, according to the province’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. However, the number of dengue cases has risen in the last few weeks.

The province has focused on preventive measures, with more than 200 mosquito larvae breeding sites eliminated and three communes sprayed with chemicals. —VNS