Guangdong Province health authorities reported another 1,587 new cases of dengue fever on Monday, bringing the case count in the south China province to 13,449 cases, according to a Shanghai Daily report Tuesday. The outbreak of dengue this year is believed to be the worst in 20 years.
During the same period in 2013, Guangdong Province saw only 694 dengue fever cases.
In addition, an additional dengue fatality has been reported in the provincial capital Guangzhou this past weekend, bringing that total to four.
Health specialist say the main cause is the high temperatures and intense rains this year, which have allowed for a breeding period for mosquitoes that is five times as long as normal.
Dengue fever is an infectious disease carried by mosquitoes and caused by any of four related dengue viruses. This disease used to be called “break-bone fever” because it sometimes causes severe joint and muscle pain that feels like bones are breaking.
People get the dengue virus from the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. It is not contagious from person to person. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page
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). Looking for a job in health care? Check here to see what’s available
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.
