Dengue fever kills 60 in Myanmar so far this year

Dengue fever has killed 60 people in Myanmar as of July 10 since its outbreak in January, local media Messenger reported Sunday.

The disease has infected more than 10,000 people in the country this year, doubling last year's figure, the Ministry of Health was quoted as saying.

With Yangon registering the highest death rate, there are about 200 to 250 dengue fever cases reported daily across the country.

An anti-dengue fever project official said the outbreak of the mosquito-infected viral disease is on an annual increase despite preventive and control measures being taken on a nationwide scale.

The ministry is calling for intensive preventive measures in the current rainy season when the outbreak of such epidemic disease is Myanmar is common.

Dengue fever was first reported in Myanmar in 1965, killing 444 people in 1994, registering the highest death rate.

The disease infected over 20,000 people in 2009, registering a record high of infection of such disease. Endi