Around 1,537 cases of dengue fever have been recorded in Hanoi from early this year to September 6, more than three times the figure from the same period last year and making the capital one of the six localities hardest hit by the disease.

Spraying mosquito repellent in high-risk areas.

According to Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Health Hoang Duc Hanh, the number of dengue patients jumped in July and August and the situation is likely to continue rising.

Districts with the largest numbers of dengue infections are Thanh Tri, Hoang Mai, Hai Ba Trung, Ha Dong, Dong Da, Ba Dinh, Thanh Xuan and Hoai Duc.

From the beginning of this year, the municipal Department of Health has arranged environmental sanitation and waste collection activities with the aim to prevent disease outbreaks.

Moving forward, the Hanoi Preventive Health Centre will organise mosquito repellent spraying in high-risk areas while arranging communication campaigns to raise public awareness of the danger of the disease and precautionary measures.

During the same period in 2009, the number of people suffering from dengue fever in Hanoi was up to 26,000 including four deaths.

In the first eight months of this year, dengue cases nationwide reached 29,618 with 18 fatalities.

VNA