Laos reports 20% increase in dengue cases in 2023
The Centre of Information and Education for Health with the Laos Ministry of Health reports that as of October 29, 32,265 dengue fever cases have been reported since the beginning of the year.
This is a 20.9 percent increase in cases compared to the same time in 2022 when 26,689 cases were reported.
Oudomxay province has reported the most cases with 5,390, followed by capital of Vientiane with 5,130 and Khammuan province with 3,781.
Thailand reports big increases in dengue in 2023
19 dengue related deaths have been reported to date.
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Elsewhere in Southeast Asia, dengue increases have been reported in Cambodia, Malaysia and Singapore, while the numbers are down in neighboring Vietnam and the Philippines.
Dengue is a disease caused by a virus spread through mosquito bites. The disease can take up to 2 weeks to develop with illness generally lasting less than a week.
Health effects from dengue include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, rash, muscle and joint pain, and minor bleeding.
Dengue can become severe within a few hours. Severe dengue is a medical emergency, usually requiring hospitalization.
In severe cases, health effects can include hemorrhage (uncontrolled bleeding), shock (seriously low blood pressure), organ failure, and death.Â
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