Local health authorities in south China’s Guangdong Province reported another 1,800 dengue fever cases Wednesday in the worst outbreak in the region in 20 years.

Aedes
Aedes albopictus female mosquito feeding on a human host/James Gathany

The total cases have reached 26,270 with more than 22,000 cases seen in the provincial capital alone. The death toll to this ever increasing outbreak remains at 6–5 in Guangzhou and one in Foshan.

The National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) has called for people to clean up stagnant water in which mosquitoes breed, targeting construction sites and schools. It has also suggested that people wear long-sleeved shirts and pants to cover up their skin. Guangzhou has handed out free mosquito repellent and has set up 450 monitoring stations around the city of more than 10 million people.

In addition, the NHFPC has issued a circular to urge health organs to prevent and deal with dengue, including annihilating mosquitoes and publicizing ways to protect against the disease. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page