The information was given by Luong Chan Quang, Deputy Head of Disease Control and Prevention of the Pasteur Institute of HCM City, at a meeting on infectious diseases in the southern region of Vietnam on August 12.
Dengue fever topped the list with 44,417 new cases and 11 deaths. Compared to last year’s total of 22,473 cases and seven deaths, this represents a 97.6 per cent increase in cases, indicating a significant rise.
The rate of serious cases is currently 2.3 per cent, in line with the multi-year average. The fatality rate remains low, at 0.027 per cent among adults and 0.021 per cent among children.
Of the 11 recorded fatalities, 70 per cent were adults. Half of these patients were hospitalised within the first two days of illness onset, indicating that many still fail to recognise early warning signs, Quang added.
Regarding Chikungunya, no new cases have been detected, but the risk remains due to past circulation in the south. An outbreak could also occur if a mutated strain enters from neighbouring countries such as China or those in the Indian Ocean region.
Quang also warned of an increase in several infectious diseases across southern provinces and cities.
As of the 31st week of this year, the southern region had recorded 36,141 hand, foot and mouth disease cases and 11 deaths, up 31.7 per cent from 2024. Recent cases and severe infections have fallen below average, but an increase is expected at the start of the new school year.
Meanwhile, measles has recorded 38,850 cases and seven deaths, with recent weeks averaging only about 56 new cases, a steep decline from the peak of nearly 4,000 per week.
Other diseases, including rabies, diphtheria and meningococcal meningitis, have increased during the same period last year.