Dengue fever spreads alarmingly in South China

NANNING - The number of dengue fever case is rising alarmingly in South China with over 200 cases reported from Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

Guangxi reported 203 cases as of Thursday. The number might keep rising during the week-long National Day holiday, which started on Wednesday, as huge numbers of people travel around, said the regional health and family planning commission in a press release on Saturday.

In addition, the warm and wet weather, ideal breeding conditions for mosquitoes, is expected continue and the situation remains "severe."

Dengue fever, a viral infection transmitted by mosquitoes, mostly hits tropical and sub-tropical regions. Symptoms include fever, nausea, rashes, backache and headaches. The hemorrhagic variant, which causes severe internal bleeding as blood vessel collapse, is often fatal.

China launched a campaign against the disease at the end of September as the country suffers its worst outbreak in 20 years with four deaths reported.

In the worst-hit province of Guangdong, which neighbors Guangxi, the epidemic is at its peak as more than 1,000 new cases reported every day since Monday, bringing the total to almost 18,000.

The National Health and Family Planning Commission has attributed the outbreak to high temperatures and wet weather in Guangdong, where the mosquito population is five times the normal level.

The commission called for efforts to cut numbers of mosquitoes, including eliminating stagnant water where the insects breed. It is also suggested that people wear long pants and long sleeves to cover their skin.

Guangzhou, the provincial capital of Guangdong, has begun distribution of free mosquito repellent and handouts on mosquito control.

The city's disease control center has set up over 450 monitoring stations.