Vientiane (VNA) – Laos has seen a strong risein the number of dengue fever cases recently, mostly due to ineffective preventivemeasures, according to the Lao Ministry of Health.

The ministry said that 10,000 cases of dengue fever had beenreported as of July 11, including six deaths, 2,000 cases higher compared tothe figure it announced on July 2 at 7,474 cases.

Local authorities said that dengue fever spreads quickly inplaces with unsanitary living conditions with good conditions for mosquitoes togrow. Laos is currently in the rainy season, which creates even more favourableconditions for mosquitoes to grow, it said.

The Lao  health authorities are concernedabout the rising trend of dengue cases this year, which presents challenges incontaining the spread of the virus and to control the disease. Lao medicalexperts have met every Monday to update the progress of the disease and discusspossible interventions to reduce the number of the cases.

It has guided locals to apply preventive measures, includingkilling mosquitoes and cleaning the environment, while seeking medical supportwhen they feel dengue symptoms.

Dengue fever is a disease occurs all year round in Laos, andreaches its peak in the rainy season from May to September. In 2013, theSoutheast Asian country experienced a record number of more than 44,000 denguecases, including 95 deaths./.