ZCZC
BFF-21
MYANMAR-DENGUE
3 die of dengue fever in Myanmar’s northern region
YANGON, Sept. 21, 2018 (BSS/XINHUA) – Three people have died of dengue
haemorrhagic fever (DHF) in Myanmar’s Mandalay region where over 1,151 such
cases were registered this year as of September, the official Global New
Light of Myanmar reported Friday.
Over the past eight months, DHF also killed four people, including an
eight-month-old infant and a four-year-old child, in townships in
southeastern Mon state where over 1,200 people were infected.
However, the outbreak rate of DHF dropped by half overall in the first
eight months of this year compared with the same period of last year.
During the period, 11,750 people were infected with the DHF in the whole
country. Of them, there were 59 fatalities against more than 100
correspondingly last year, said the Ministry of Health and Sports.
In Sagaing region alone covering Yinmabin, Kale, Pale, Monywa and Salingyi
townships, the outbreak of DHF has infected 950 people with eight deaths
during the period.
DHF, which mainly affects children under 15 years old, occurred mostly in
Ayeyawaddy and Yangon regions and Mon state.
The disease is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito and was common
only in the rainy season previously but it has occurred throughout the year.
Statistics showed that in 2017, more than 31,000 people were infected with
the mosquito-borne disease across the country. Of them, there were 192
fatalities with 27 above 17 years old.
Overcrowding, lack of sanitation, unhygienic water storage are blamed for
causing the infectious disease outbreaks.
BSS/XINHUA/GMR/1111 hrs