An outbreak of dengue fever is occurring in Kompong Chhnang province’s Boribor district, with more than 30 people sickened so far, officials said Thursday.
At least 30 children were hospitalized in the district on Wednesday and some have been taken by ambulance to the provincial hospital for blood testing, said Chhuon Buntha, chief of the district’s health office.
“It’s like a storm of dengue fever. Children have fallen sick everywhere in the district,” he said.
The outbreak of the fever, which is carried by mosquitoes, was first noticed early this month but has worsened following intermittent rains, he said.
“It’s a full-blown epidemic as we’ve seen children with high fevers and vomiting blood. Some of the well-to-do parents have sent their children to provincial private hospitals or private hospitals in Phnom Penh,” he said.
There have been no reported deaths so far, he added.
“There is no life lost,” he said. “We can still save them.”
Dr Ngan Chan Tha, director of the Health Ministry’s dengue control program, said there are only 30 cases.
Reports of greater numbers are untrue, he said. He arrived Wednesday in Kompong Chhnang after being alerted by provincial health officials, who are now reporting back to the Ministry of Health once a day.
Insecticide will be sprayed throughout the district in an effort to combat the outbreak, he said, though he added that it could be weeks before it is known whether this has been effective.
The coming rainy season could be cause for concern, he warned.
“I am asking the population to be very careful because when the rains fall…incidents increase and the epidemic could explode,” he said.
Local residents are advised to be certain that pools of still water do not collect around their homes as this could attract mosquitoes, he said.
