Thirty-nine dengue fever cases have been confirmed in Putian, a city in east China's Fujian Province, health authorities said on Sunday.

Thus far, 26 of the 39 patients in Hanjiang District of Putian have been cured and the others are in stable condition, said the provincial health department.

The city has adopted "comprehensive prevention and control measures" to curb the spread of the disease, said the department.

All medical and health institutions in the province have also strengthened monitoring on the disease, it added.

The department reminded citizens of household sanitation and the prevention of proliferation of mosquitoes which transit the disease.

Dengue fever is a flu-like illness which occurs in most tropical areas of the world. It usually starts with a high fever, rash, severe headache, pain behind the eyes and so on. Most dengue infections result in mild illness, but some may progress to fatal complications.

(China Daily October 1, 2007)