Myanmar Admits At Least 96 Dead Of Dengue As SE Asian Epidemic Gathers Force - Reuters

[hatrack]

YANGON - Dengue fever has killed nearly 100 people in military-ruled Myanmar so far this year, amid a surge in cases of the mosquito-borne disease across Southeast Asia, officials said on Monday.

"Since January, there have been over 8,000 dengue fever cases in the whole country and 98 people have died. In July alone there were 32 deaths," a senior Health Ministry official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.

By comparison, in the whole of 2006 the former Burma had 11,000 cases and 130 deaths, the official said.

The World Health Organisation said last month the Western Pacific region could be at risk from a major dengue outbreak unless governments improved efforts to stamp out the virus.

EDIT

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/43501/story.htm

This year South East Asia's monsoon has brought its usual flooding and intense humidity. But it has also brought with it an increase in dengue fever cases. Already thousands of people have died. And the World Health Organisation (WHO) is warning that this wet season could see the worst outbreak in almost a decade.

Thailand's mosquito busting teams are operating at full force. Their vans travel districts in Bangkok telling residents over a loudspeaker where they can get information about how to prevent the disease. They are also offering a free fogging service. The workers are intimidating in their gloves, goggles and masks, not to mention the very large guns they carry which spurt smoky pesticides into every crevice and corner.

EDIT

This year across South East Asia there is an epidemic. The worst affected is Indonesia where 1,100 people have died and more than 100,000 have been infected. Even Singapore has reported three fatal cases.

The authorities are most concerned about the outbreak in Cambodia because many of the country's poorer residents live in slums and do not have access to proper medical treatment. In early June there was an outbreak in one community and more than 30 children died. All up almost 300 children have succumbed to dengue fever in Cambodia.

EDIT

http://www.huliq.com/29233/dengue-fever-epidemic-spread-across-se-asia