UK dengue cases triple this year, National, Phnom Penh Post



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In the space of 20 weeks this year, the number of dengue victims has risen to 21, while the number of people sickened by the disease has surpbaded 12,000.

A senior official said the figure was about three times higher than the same period last year, when about 3,000 people contracted dengue fever.

Leang Rithy, director of the National Dengue Control Program at the National Center for Malaria, Pandemic and Entomology, told The Post on Sunday that the dead came from the capital and six provinces.

He added that most of them had died because they had sought treatment in small, private, non-specialized clinics without proper medical equipment instead of being admitted to hospitals or managed health centers. by the state.

"In state hospitals, there has been no human toll. People who have died as a result of the disease have tried in vain to receive treatment in small, incompetent private clinics – this is a loss for them.

"Dengue is developing rapidly. Some private clinics are not specialized in the treatment of the disease, they only put drugs on treatment and infusions. The practice puts the lives of patients at risk because they absorb too much serum, "he said.

Rithy said that the dengue epidemic throughout the country had not diminished and that the Ministry of Health was striving to raise awareness among residents.

It raises public awareness of the fumigation of the breeding grounds of the aedes aegypti mosquito, which spreads the disease one after another, and to seek appropriate treatment in the specialized health centers if they contract the disease.

The ministry recently appealed to all health departments in the Kingdom to disseminate information on how to diagnose dengue fever in private, non-specialized clinics across the country.

Threat of legal action

This, according to the ministry, could help prevent deaths, as clinics would stop treating their patients and transfer them to specialized centers after they have been diagnosed with the disease.

The ministry warned that any clinic that has continued treatment despite the lack of proper medical equipment and specialized doctors would in no way be liable for prosecution.

Rithy pointed out that although this year saw the worst case of dengue outbreak, which occurs every six to seven years, the department was well prepared both to treat patients and take steps to prevent the Aedes mosquito to stay at a distance.

He added that the ministry had prepared nearly 70,000 serum banks, 172 tons of Abate larvicide and 7,000 liters of insect insecticides for people most exposed to dengue fever.

Last week, the ministry also urged residents to fight dengue fever together, saying the disease could be contracted by people of all ages.

The ministry has asked them to get rid of female aedes aegypti mosquito breeding grounds, which incubate their eggs in clear water, like to live near humans and do not fly more than 150 m from their habitat.

Eradicate mosquito larvae

He urged parents to eliminate mosquito larvae from water containers and storage places such as water tanks, flowerpots, pots, tables, pots, buckets, etc., while the water had to be changed regularly.

Other aqueous materials that have not been used, such as tires, crates or bottles for cars or motorcycles must be buried or destroyed in order not to accumulate water.

The ministry advised people exposed to high temperatures to rush to state-run hospitals or specialized medical centers for exams.

Patients may suffer from an acute illness followed by headache, fever, exhaustion, severe muscle and joint pain, swollen glands, vomiting and rashes within the first two to three days following a mosquito bite. The ministry urged patients to receive treatment no later than 72 hours after the diagnosis of dengue fever.

Rithy said this year that dengue fever was rising, not only in Cambodia, but also in all countries of Southeast Asia. In the Philippines, dengue fever has killed 303 out of a total of 72,000 deaths.

In Thailand, 70 out of more than 70,000 patients died of the disease. In Malaysia, 70 out of more than 50,000 patients also lost their lives. In Vietnam, more than 40,000 patients have contracted the disease, although Rithy has not provided a figure for the number of deaths due to the disease.

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