According to the Ministry of Health and Sports, dengue fever incidences and deaths have decreased significantly this year compared to the previous two years.
Dengue fever infected 4121 people and killed 32 people in 2020, from January 1 to July 11.
Over 30,000 people were infected in 2017, over 13,000 in 2018, and nearly 25,000 in 2019. Between 2017 and 2019, approximately 80,000 people were infected, resulting in approximately 450 deaths.
89 percent of infected patients are under the age of 15 this year, and 69 percent of dengue cases occur in villages.
The Aedes aegypti mosquito transmits dengue fever. Dengue fever outbreaks are primarily caused by overcrowding and poor sanitation, which occur during the rainy season.
The infection causes flu-like symptoms and can occasionally progress to a potentially fatal complication known as severe dengue, which is a leading cause of serious illness and death in children in Asia and Latin America.
Sagaing, Mandalay, Yangon, Magwe, and Mon States are the regions and state with the highest dengue infection rates.
“Prevention efforts are focused primarily on the five most infected regions and states. We anticipated a high number of cases this year, but the infection is not as widespread as we anticipated,” said Dr Tin Maung Nyunt, the public health department officer for northern Shan state.