Vietnam warns hospitals as dengue fever cases rise

VIETNAM: Compared to the same period in 2021, dengue fever cases in Vietnam have more than doubled this year, the health ministry reported on Thursday (July 14), advising its hospitals to prepare for additional infections.

There is no vaccination for dengue fever, a virus that is ubiquitous in Southeast Asia and causes symptoms similar to the flu. Internal bleeding can occur as a result of severe cases.

Dengue fever cases in Vietnam increased by 148% in the first half of the year, from 35,936 to 89,120. Deaths rose from 14 to 34 in the same time period.

In recent years, the country’s population of 98 million has seen an average of roughly 110,000 cases per year, with infection rates peaking between June and October.

Ministers have issued special advice for healthcare providers this week, predicting that the number of cases will continue to climb, and that more serious cases will be hospitalized.

“All hospitals at the provincial and district levels should focus their resources on admitting and treating the most serious cases.”

There is no vaccination for dengue fever, a virus that is ubiquitous in Southeast Asia and causes symptoms similar to the flu.