A health officer is spraying mosquito repellent in high-risk areas.(Source :VNA)

Nearly 900 cases of dengue fever have been reported in the Central Highlands of Vietnam from the beginning of 2016, up over 20 percent compared to the same period last year.

According to the Central Highlands Institute of Epidemic Prevention, the largest numbers of dengue infections were recorded in the provinces of Gia Lai and Dak Lak. As said by health experts, rapid variation in weather conditions and erratic temperature fluctuations are resulting in a rise in dengue contracted cases. The institute has requested provinces to enact measures to prevent the disease's spread, such as raising public awareness and spraying mosquito repellent in high-risk areas.Localities have launched responses to the outbreak, including establishing inspection groups in high risk areas, providing necessary equipment, opening training courses for medical staff and destroying mosquito larva.

According to the World Health Organisation, around 100 million people are infected with the fever each year, mostly children below 15. The disease is circulating in more than 100 tropical countries worldwide with about 3.5 billion living in high-risk areas. The disease is contracted through bites from dengue-infected mosquitoes; causing headaches, fever, exhaustion, severe muscle and joint pain, swollen glands, vomiting and rashes. There is no medication to treat the disease, o­nly to ease the symptoms.

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