The Lao Ministry of Health said in a pressrelease on August 3 that all 18 cities and provinces in the country havereported cases of dengue fever.
The highest number of patients was 974, inVientiane capital, followed by Bolikhamxay province with 515, Vientianeprovince 447, and Attapeu province 371.
The nine deaths included four in Vientianecapital, two in Bolikhamxay, and one each in Khammouane, Xayaboury, and XiengKhouang provinces.
Facing an outbreak, Lao health authorities haveurged people to clear potential mosquito breeding sites around their homes andworkplaces to help control the spread of the disease.
People have also been recommended to visitmedical establishments for check-ups if they fall ill.
Dengue fever is a major challenge for Laos’health sector. It recorded 74 fatalities among more than 37,000 cases of infectionlast year, with the number of deaths up four-fold against 2018 despite diseaseprevention efforts being implemented.
According to the World Health Organisation,dengue fever is one of the most rapidly-spreading viral diseases known tohumankind, with Thailand, Laos, the Philippines, and Singapore also seeing highincidences.
The number of cases in the western PacificRegion has more than doubled over the past 10 years./.