Vietnam has reported a large increase in dengue fever cases in 2017. As of last week, more than 90,000 cases have been reported, including two dozen deaths. The case count is up more than 60 percent compared to last year.
The most affected areas include: An Giang, Binh Duong, Danang, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Khanh Hoa, Soc Trang, and Tien Giang. Dengue is spread through mosquito bites and can cause symptoms such as fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, rash, and pain in the eyes, joints, and muscles.
This has prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue a notice for travelers to the southeast Asian country.
Because mosquitoes transmit dengue to people, travelers to Vietnam should protect themselves against mosquito bites to avoid getting the illness. There is no vaccine or medicine currently available in the United States to prevent or treat dengue.
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There are three types of dengue fever in order of less severe to most: the typical uncomplicated dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHS) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS).
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates there may be 50–100 million dengue infections worldwide every year. However, new research from the University of Oxford and the Wellcome Trust, using cartographic approaches, estimate there to be 390 million dengue infections per year worldwide.
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