54 Cambodian children die of dengue fever in 9 months

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) — Cambodia reported on Monday that some 54 Cambodian children had been killed by dengue fever in the first nine months of this year, compared to 37 kids dying of the disease in the whole year of 2010.

From January to September this year, some 12,392 cases of dengue fever had been reported with 54 children killed by the disease. The whole year 2010 reported only 5,497 cases, Ngan Chantha, director of dengue control at the Ministry of Health, said on Monday.

“This year’s rainy season has been plagued by floods, leading to more cases of the disease,” he said. “I would like to appeal to parents to let their children sleep under mosquito nets and if their kids have any symptom that is suspicious of the disease, they should urgently send them for medical attention.”

Dengue is caused by mosquitoes. The disease causes an acute illness of sudden onset that usually follows symptoms such as headache, fever, exhaustion, severe muscle and joint pain, swollen glands and rash.

In Cambodia, the outbreak of dengue fever usually begins at the onset of the rainy season from May to October.