BFF-19 Dengue fever death toll surges to 123 across Myanmar

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ZCZC

BFF-19

MYANMAR-DENGUE-DEATH

Dengue fever death toll surges to 123 across Myanmar

YANGON, Dec 2, 2019 (BSS/XINHUA) – The death toll of Dengue Hemorrhagic
Fever (DHF) has surged to 123 across Myanmar in 11 months, said figures
released by the Ministry of Health and Sports on Monday.

The Public Health Department under the ministry issued that 23,203
mosquito-borne disease infection cases were recorded in Myanmar’s regions and
states from Jan. 1 to Nov. 23 this year.

During the period, the DHF infection mostly occurred in Kachin state,
Yangon, Ayeyarwady, Mandalay and Sagaing regions.

Of them, Kachin state topped with 4,222 infection cases and 30 deaths,
followed by Yangon region with 2,804 cases and 33 deaths.

Children aged between five and nine years old were infected by the DHF the
most, registering 9,264 infection cases, according to the ministry’s Vector
Borne Disease Control Programme.

Last year, a total of 3,469 DHF infection cases were recorded across the
country, claiming 187 deaths.

Dengue fever is transmitted by the bite of the Aedes mosquito and mostly
occurs in the months of June, July and August of the country’s rainy season.

The ministry urged people to take prevention measures including clearing
mosquito breeding grounds, anti-larval operations against the DHF
transmission as the infectious disease outbreaks are mostly occurred due to
lack of sanitation, unhygienic water storage and others.

The ministry also warned that parents and health staff should take the
possibility of DHF infection into consideration if the children are not
feeling well as the symptoms of DHF and flu are much alike.

BSS/XINHUA/GMR/1408 hrs